Pokedex
by Birdboy
Summary: A drabble collection of the sort of pokemon world lore you might find in an expanded version of the pokedex.
1. Bulbasaur

Like the other starting pokemon, Bulbasaur are extinct in the wild; they are the only one of the Kanto starters which was hunted to extinction. It is feared that, as only a select few skillful breeders have managed to induce Bulbasaur to mate, and as the population has dropped to dangerously low levels, they will join the ranks of Aerodactyl and Omanyte within the century.

This is primarily due to a legend which states that if a Bulbasaur's bulb is removed, the Bulbasaur will die but the bulb will continue to bloom and in a decade's time produce a potion which can halt aging for yet another decade. This legend has been debunked by the scientific community, and only the most traditional, superstitious folk and the most learned researchers believe it today.

Professor Oak of Pallet Town is far older than anyone knows.


	2. Ivysaur

Although modern man worships the legendaries, Arceus, or no gods at all, primitive man commonly worshiped gods modeled on other pokemon, most commonly Ivysaur. Some say this is because its blossoming flower represents adolescence, or because it unifies plant and animal in a single symbiotic form, or because its vines were seen as symbols of fertility.

All of this is true, but in reality Ivysaur were worshiped primarily because the plant on its back, in addition to Stun Spore, Poisonpowder, and Sleep Powder, can spray a powerful hallucinogen which causes man to have mystical experiences.

It is no coincidence that many prophets have had an Ivysaur in their lineup, and to this day they are commonly used in mystery religions and initiation rites – and not just among man. The mysterious garden where Bulbasaur evolve is filled with this unique Ivysaur spray.


	3. Venusaur

Of the fifteen pokemon who learn Solarbeam naturally, Venusaur is the only one who can also transfer energy to others, albeit only its fellow grass-types. This has made it a subject of intense interest for scientific research into solar power to solve the impending energy crisis.

Electricity has traditionally been generated by electric-type pokemon, but the increased electricity needs of the modern technological revolution have made them insufficient. Gone are the days when a Pikachu hooked up to a generator can meet a whole skyscraper's electricity needs, and the fossil fuels used as a stopgap measure have been running out.

The sun, however, has a supply of energy so vast to seem infinite, and already the Solarbeam TM has been synthesized from Venusaur's flower. There is hope that with further research its DNA will unlock the secret of solar energy, if they don't go extinct first.


	4. Charmander

In the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, a period known to laymen as the dawn of mankind, Charmander abounded in a desert east of Fuschia city. They used their flames to hunt bug and grass pokemon and were as abundant in this land as Zubat and Tentacool are in theirs, and dug surprisingly sturdy burrows to protect themselves during infrequent rainstorms.

It was climate change that did them in. Kanto is far wetter than it once was, and those few Charmander who tried to adapt to growing forests failed: leaves were a poor shield and there were no forests in Kanto with a thick enough canopy to prevent rainfall. In Kanto's Warring States' Era, the last patch of desert was converted into pasture by a local warlord and the wild Charmander became extinct.

Not all was lost, however, for man is a species which builds shelters and loves fire, and before they learned to rub sticks together they domesticated the Charmander, both for its valuable flames and its role in eating disease-carrying insects. In modern times they are still a fairly common household pet, although never as numerous as they were before the invention of the matchbox.


	5. Charmeleon

The blood of a Charmeleon is over 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and must be handled with special protective equipment lest it cause dangerous burns. This is not, however, an uncommon temperature for the blood of a fire-type pokemon – indeed, quite a few burn even hotter.

What makes their blood notable is how often they shed it. They are a species of pokemon in an adolescence of evolution with far more courage than brains, and rare is the city which can not count a Charmeleon who heroically died to save its people. Many of these Charmeleon, however, would probably have survived had they shouted less during combat and learned the value of self-preservation, even if only to carry on the cause.

It is from this species of flaming warrior pokemon that the term "hotblooded" has entered the English language to describe those who attempt to use passion and shouting and courage to overcome the impossible. Few of them ever succeed, but most become heroes just for trying.


	6. Charizard

Some have speculated that, in a world where Charmeleon was the end of its evolutionary line, firebombing as a weapon of war would not have been developed until the invention of airships and airplanes.

Unfortunately for many of their victims – those who have seen homes burned, crops ruined, and been scorched alive – Charmeleon evolve into Charizard. And although their extreme weakness to any competent rock-type pokemon has kept them away from the massive battles of ages past, Charizard corps have continued to be used throughout the centuries to give peoples who resisted in spite of broken armies a bitter choice between surrender or massacre in flames.

Today, war is rare and international law prohibits the use of Charizard against civilian populations. The only flock of Charizard left is a small, migratory order centered around two secret training valleys, one each for summer and winter. And yet whenever they take to the skies on their majestic, semi-annual flights, many of those old enough to have lived through the war find themselves running for their lives or screaming in blind terror.


	7. Squirtle

If one were to jump on a Squirtle's head, the water pokemon will retract into its shell, which can then be kicked as a projectile. Although occasionally finding military uses as early ammunition for cannons, this fact has gone ignored for most of their history. Today, however, it provides fodder for one of the most popular video games of the pokemon world.

The first game series featuring Squirtle was a platformer which made it the protagonist. It used water attacks to put out fires (as real Squirtle are, for their ability to convert food into water inside their bodies, used to this day for firefighting and irrigation) and withdrew into its shell to protect itself from enemy attacks. With the forward-R combination, one could even use a rolling attack more similar to a Voltorb's than anything a real Squirtle is capable of.

The gaming company which made this game eventually went under, but not without developing rivalries with other companies such as Nintendo which survive to this day. As an act of playful rivalry, Squirtle were added into Nintendo's Super Mario series, replacing the ill-fated Koopa Troopas of the original game. Today, they are more beloved among Nintendo players as enemies than by the dwindling fandom of the original platformers, but when a remake of the originals set in the Mario universe was recently announced, both sides of Squirtle video game fandom reacted with excitement and anticipation.


	8. Wartortle

At some point in their lives, every Wartortle must make a choice between life or power, for unevolved they can live for millennia. There are many Wartortle alive which predate the dawn of civilization, some living among men, some hiding in the deep sea where no man can reach.

The vast majority of Wartortle from the past thousands of years dead, because they chose at some point in their lives to evolve into Blastoise. Blastoise itself have a respectable lifespan: two centuries is a lifespan which most would kill for, and indeed many have, but to a Wartortle it might as well be suicide.

And yet most Wartortle do exactly that. Speculation has abounded as to why – do Wartortle lack the self-preservation instincts of most life, does their modern diet insufficiently produce chemicals in the brain needed to make them feel life worth living – but few have stumbled on the answer most Blastoise themselves would give.

Some things, they would say with the wisdom of millennia, are even more important than living for eons.


	9. Blastoise

Although perhaps better known these days for their military uses – not only as a mainstay of every army, but because the first "cannons" were improvised by being cut off the back of a dead Blastoise – in ancient times Blastoise were beloved as the enemy of drought, for they can dance to bring the rain.

Rain dances in the old days were an elaborate religious ritual with shamans leading, a whole village forming a circle, and a Blastoise at the center whose strange, awkward dance the people would copy whenever they went too long without rain. The rain would last for days, and would not only power up water-type attacks and allow thunder to strike with deadly accuracy: it would also nourish plants, refill reservoirs, and even give inland peoples momentary lakes in which to swim.

These days, with the domestication of superior rainmakers such as Castform and a wetter climate in Kanto, the original dance has passed into the history books, if only in description; the knowledge of how to perform the actual ritual has been lost forever. Elements of the old Rain Dance remain in warfare and pokemon battles, where Blastoise are still often used to support their water-type comrades by draining clouds from the heavens, if for a far shorter duration of time.


	10. Caterpie

Of the five pokemon which can learn String Shot, only Caterpie produce actual string. Weedle produce a weak fiber similar to cotton and of use solely for the construction of textiles. Wurmple produce a smooth silky thread which is pleasant to the touch, while Spinarak and Ariados produce a powerful adhesive.

For utility, however, none of these are as valuable as Caterpie string. For string can be used in archery, to make ropes, or for a thousand other things, half of them improvised in time of few other materials. Other fibers made from plants are occasionally used elsewhere, typically in places which lack trade links with Viridian City and its adjoining forest where most of Viridian's people work. The task is tough and thankless, for it requires extensive harvesting of leaves to feed the bug pokemon year-round. The string after spraying must be collected by hand, they must avoid battling them (save for the few lucky enough to afford everstones) as evolution weakens the string, and profits have never been very high.

It was from this forest that a young Caterpie farmer named Giovanni turned to gambling to supplement his income. It is said that he so hated the work that at the height of his power, Caterpie was the only local species of pokemon which he declined to obtain for his collection.


	11. Metapod

In the wild, Metapod are only capable of using one technique, and that is Harden. Typically, when attacked by trainers or predators, they use this technique to make their exoskeleton even tougher and hope their foes will get tired of bothering them. If it survives this period, after a few months in this state it will evolve again into a Butterfree.

This is far too long a wait for most bug catchers' liking. For a trainer with a full roster, this wait is annoying but acceptable: for someone who started with a Caterpie, it is simply intolerable, and therefore it has become something of a rite of passage for young bug catchers to teach their Metapod to use Tackle.

This is never an easy task. Metapod, after all, not only lack limbs, but also the lithe body and slithering capability of snakes – and although some may see friends pull it off and figure it out, typically each trainer relearns the method together with their pokemon. Typically (for there are a hundred variations) Metapod rock back and forth on their unbalanced bodies, increasing their momentum until they can launch themselves forward by about a foot. It resembles a rollout more than a standard tackle and is a weak attack, good only for defeating pokemon half its level and wild Metapod.

Some have said that Metapod are an easy pokemon to train, for they only require three levels to evolve. Most bug catchers would retort that it's easier to train a Pidgey ten levels than a Metapod three.


	12. Butterfree

In Hoenn and Sinnoh, Butterfree are as dominant in contests as Salamance and Garchomp are in battles. It is not a rare sight to see expert coordinators from afar in the Viridian forest, making the long journey to Kanto in the hopes of obtaining that magnificent contest pokemon.

Butterfree look majestic enough, certainly prettier than Hoenn's native Beautifly, but their true appeal lies in their myriad of attacks. There is little which can compare to the sight of a beautiful Silver Wind blowing around a dozen dazzling powders, then absorbed into multicolored Psybeams, and judges, although supposedly sworn to support creativity, are little more immune to their spell than the audience. The past six Master Rank Beauty winners have all been Butterfree, and they regularly compete in the top levels of Smart, Cute, and Cool contests as well.

In their native Kanto, where contests are unknown, Butterfree hold none of this acclaim. They are trained only by young Bug Catchers, who typically move on to fiercer bugs such as Scyther and Pinsir once they acquire a modicum of experience and skill.


	13. Weedle

In open combat, a Weedle is a weak pokemon which poses no threat to anyone save an already exhausted trainer. Weedle trainers, however, do not use them for open combat.

Weedle also stand at a height of only one foot and possess the ability to crawl up walls, on ceilings, through windows - anywhere an assassin might conceivably need to go. The venom they naturally produce is not especially potent – perhaps strong enough to kill an equally small pokemon, but not nearly dangerous enough to kill a man.

Long ago the Koga ninjas of Fuschia City learned how to replace a Weedle's venom with deadlier poisons, and despite a herculean effort of clan warfare and targeted assassinations, the secret has by now become common knowledge within the criminal underworld. Weedle have become the most common method of assassination in the pokemon world, so feared that a Weedle on one's ceiling is often used by criminal gangs as a warning to would-be opposition, who typically comply out of self-preservation instinct and terror.


	14. Kakuna

One of the more curious puzzles of pokemon evolution which has been debated throughout history – evolution in the sense of how a species changes over time, not of how an individual metamorphosizes throughout its life - is the question of a Kakuna's arms. There is ample evidence that in antiquity Kakuna were equipped with stinger arms, a weaker version of those of their evolved form of Beedrill and these stingers provided the pokemon with its main means of defense. In prehistory, the fossil record shows that their arms were as prominent as they would be after they evolved.

Modern Kakuna, however, are powerless creatures which can only harden their shell or attempt to spit poison barbs to defend themselves. If discovered by a predator, they are nearly always eaten, and the Beedrill population has been declining throughout modern times as Kakuna struggle to survive their intermediate phase.

After a century of debate, scientists have come to the consensus that Kakuna with exterior arms evolved into Beedrill with weaker drill arms than those who were enable to grow them in the cocoon, which put them at a disadvantage after they evolved. It remains a powerful example of evolutionary self-destructiveness: had it not been for this armless, vulnerable strain of Kakuna, Beedrill would have remained as numerous as Pidgey to this day.


	15. Beedrill

It is difficult to imagine a Beedrill hive, for Beedrill, unlike Combee, are a race of pokemon which so cherish their liberty that they drill through pokeballs after capture and fly away: trainers wishing to own one must evolve a Kakuna themselves.

And yet according to legend and scattered eyewitnesses, there exists an enormous Beedrill hive deep in the Viridian Forest, in an area where few humans venture. Their reports are remarkably consistent across the past two thousand years: it resembles a giant beehive, with Beedrill drilling along the outside to make it ever larger, with an entrance so large a human could walk in – at times, some have. The Beedrill return there to store honey, but maintain their own nourishment. Imprisoned in the cage at the center of the hive sits the queen, an enormous Beedrill the size of a Groudon, constantly laying eggs never allowed to hatch for the hive believes she has enough descendants and would rather reproduce on their own.

Many expeditions have set out to find the site. Some have returned, but all of the surviving explorers have refused to reveal the hive's location no matter how many people questioned their claims. They did this both out of a wish to preserve the site and out of fear of a poison sting to the neck.


	16. Pidgey

In the modern era, two species have emerged from population bottlenecks to spread all across the planet. The first of these, of course, is man, which transforms everything it touches, destroying natural habitats and replacing them with farms and villages and cities.

Far less heralded and no less common is Pidgey. Although their sand attack suggests a desert origin, perhaps nesting atop cacti, today they live in grasslands and forests, along roads and atop skyscrapers. They do not breed especially quickly by pokemon standards, nor are they experts in resilience; many a trainer has expressed annoyance with running into them all the time, finding them to be anything but a challenge. But they possess keen eyes for hunting, strength in numbers, can digest a wide palette of food and have the intelligence to make or find nests anywhere. And unlike Rattata, who stow away on ships and discover islands only when humans do, Pidgey can fly atop mountains and over forests to find new lands to colonize. This has wreaked havoc on ecosystems, driving out the local birds like a weed except for the nocturnal the fierce Staravia; even in Kanto Spearow have become quite rare as Pidgey continue to multiply, and competition from Pidgey has at least as much to do as overhunting with the endangered status of Farfetch'd.

Today Pidgey is common all across the pokemon world, with the notable exception of Hoenn, which has preserved its remarkable biodiversity first by distance, and now by shooting wild Pidgey on sight.


	17. Pidgeotto

For as long as humans have dug pretty stones out of the ground and used them as accessories, they have also adorned Pidgeotto plumage as a symbol of leadership and power. At first the expeditions took the form of searches, where men (and it was always men in that age) would scour the ground for feathers shed from the flying pokemon's head and tail to deliver to their lords, who would bestow them with great rewards in exchange.

But as history marched onward, humans gained better technology and harder hearts, and turned from scavenging Pidgeotto feathers to hunting them themselves. The feathers changed from adorning the headdresses of tribal chiefs to the thrones of great kings, and with it Pidgeotto went from nearly as numerous as Pidgey in the wild to an uncommon or even rare pokemon.

In these times a mix of environmental awareness and republican spirit has reduced the frequency of the hunt, and wild Pidgeotto have begun to appear again in areas where they had not been sighted for decades. The Pidgeotto have maintained their brilliant pink and yellow plumage through the centuries to attract mates, and developed a ferocity to match: many humans and pokemon over the years have been eaten by Pidgeotto who fought to protect their feathers, and the hunt now only serves to cull the weak from the herd.


	18. Pidgeot

In the pokemon world, it was not the railroads which linked faraway lands, for they are too rare and expensive to truly connect the world. Nor was it roads or waterways or airplanes, for the first two are cluttered with trainers and pokemon which block movement, and the latter is only a pale imitator. The true engine of unity from Sinnoh to the Orange Islands is not any invention of man, but a pokemon which flies at twice the speed of sound and is large enough to carry a rider.

Pidgeot do not fly at full speed while carrying humans, because the riders would be blown off by the air they displace. Nonetheless, they remain a remarkably fast method of intercity transport, bringing trainers from Pallet to Lavender in a matter of minutes and allowing them to enjoy the view while their hair is tossed around by a strong breeze.

Recent times have seen the hidden machine Fly developed from Pidgeot DNA, allowing other pokemon to be used in its traditional role, and modern airships can travel nearly as fast as a Pidgeot safely can with a trainer. Nonetheless, Pidgeot remain the most popular among the ferries of the skies.


	19. Rattata

Rattata are the only pokemon which are strongest at birth and grow weaker as they gain experience. This is not a strength every Rattata possesses, but one which requires a held item and is passed down through generations. Consequently, there are none who fear wild Rattata, but a trained newborn at the wrong time can terrify even the greatest of trainers.

The strategy relies on the fact that newborn Rattata have not yet developed their decent speed, and the opponent will always attack first, often with a damaging technique. The Rattata, badly wounded but alive because of a Focus Sash, retaliates with Endeavor and Quick Attack. There are countless workarounds which turn this narrow defeat into a narrow victory – poison, ghost-type pokemon. Trick Room, entry hazards, Sandstorm, or even Quick Attack from a faster pokemon, but the need to counter it just speaks to the fact that a newborn Rattata is respected at the top levels of the Pokemon League, and all the counters save ghosts still leave an enemy pokemon badly wounded. It is this strategy which gives rise to stories of Donphan fearing Rattata, and some say the strategy could even defeat Arceus himself.

It is, however, a tactic which is deadly only once in a pokemon's lifetime. Defeating a pokemon so much stronger than itself gives the Rattata a ton of experience, typically forcing them to evolve after the battle. When they evolve they gain the toughness to shrug off a weak attack and the speed to go first in battle, while the strategy relies on going second and being nearly knocked out. Some trainers continue to train them as Raticate, but it is rare for these trainers to make it very far at the Pokemon League.


	20. Raticate

There was a time when the Silph Company building was far and away the tallest building in Kanto. At eleven stories, twice the height of Celadon's Department Store, it offered an imposing and entrancing view of Saffron City, and as Silph's operations became more efficient extra office space was rented out in the building and the roof opened to the public as an observation deck.

Unfortunately for Silph Corporation and the innocence of Saffron City, Raticate possess the ability to gnaw through concrete. At noon on an otherwise ordinary Thursday many years ago, a group of masked men sent out a swarm of Raticate which surrounded the building, then chewed through its foundations from all angles and vanished into their pokeballs before the police could arrive.

The building's collapse killed hundreds, destroyed a city black and horrified all of Kanto. Increased security measures were enacted across the pokemon world, but to no avail; Raticate evolve from Rattata, which are simply too numerous to effectively control. The attack, far from prompting imprved security to make future such moves impossible, instead sparked a wave of copycats; Raticate have now replaced Electrode as the pokemon of choice for terrorist organizations. Moreover, the attack (for all the brave talk by the mayor and the CEO about hunting down those responsible) must be regarded as a total success: the Master Ball which had made Silph so divisive was quietly discontinued, and no more have been produced to this day.


	21. Spearow

When children are too young to train pokemon, their mothers typically give them two pieces of advice: "Don't go into the tall grass" and "under no circumstances make a Spearow mad." It would do more trainers well to heed the second piece of advice, even once they get their fist pokemon; alas, many are too hotheaded to listen.

Spearow are a rare and cowardly pokemon, but quick to anger; if a trainer is too weak to capture or kill one they antagonize (and they are quick to anger) a Spearow will call for backup from its friends, and young children who struggle with one of them now battle a whole flock.

Sometimes, such as in the case of Red, trainers have already captured an electric, ice, or rock pokemon and can use its type advantage to survive, albeit typically in critical condition and dire need of a pokemon center. Far more often, young trainers are pecked and scratched to death, and their bodies along with those of their pokemon feed the victorious flock for an entire week.


	22. Fearow

When Ho-oh dwelt in Ecruteak's Brass Tower, there were no such thing as Fearow. Spearow existed, and they were a violent pokemon which Ho-oh hated for driving humans to war with wild pokemon, but could not bring itself to destroy; it seemed time would do so anyway, for their numbers were diminishing by the day.

And then the tower burned down, attacked by an angry, power-hungry mob. Ho-Oh raised the legendary beasts from the ashes of the tower, then flew away to a Spearow flock which it reshaped in its image. The pokemon grew in size, their necks grew long, their beaks longer still, and their heads and wings changed shape into one vaguely reminiscent of the legendary bird itself. They gained a few new attacks, drill peck the most powerful, and were gifted with the power of true flight – not of moving from tree to tree for a few hours like "flying" pokemon do, but of staying aloft forever like the gods themselves, lest they be attacked in their nests while they sleep.

To this day, when a wild Spearow becomes powerful enough, they seek out Ho-oh to evolve and join the original flock of Fearow which bring about the fire bird's wrath to this day. A similar technique using ash from the burned tower has been developed to create trained Fearow, but they never seem quite as powerful as the ones in the wild: they are Pidgeot with less speed and longer beaks, not a terror from the skies sent by an angry god.


	23. Ekans

The four great pokedex holders of Kanto, Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow, managed to each capture the vast majority of pokemon, if only to give to Professor Oak for study.

There were a few pokemon, even among those which were not legends or even all that rare, which managed to remain as exceptions. Ekans rebuffed Yellow's offers of friendship, ran from Green's bravado, and while Blue's charms and trickery came close on occasion, she never did manage to capture one and eventually gave up.

It was Red and Red alone who managed to catch an Ekans. He did it not as a goofy kid, but as a silent pokemon master, having gained wisdom with experience, but lost his will to speak in the process. He approached the young Ekans silently, rolled a pokeball along the ground, and hit it in the tail before it could even react. The pokeball opened, shook thrice and stopped. Red made a V-sign, spun around with the ball and brought it to a transporter, headed for professor Oak's lab and the discovery of a medical use for Ekans venom.

He never, of course, lets Green forget this fact. Nor does Green let him forget that he couldn't even catch a Meowth.


	24. Arbok

An Arbok's scales come in six different patterns, and a skilled one can switch between some of them at will. The standard pattern is regeneration, and the three most commonly shifted to are invulnerability, attack, and speed. Status Arbok are rarer, and probably among the stronger forms: their gaze is said to petrify, and their poison, no mere annoyance, debilitates so quickly as to often make the difference in battle.

The sixth pattern is far and away the most powerful, but so mysterious and difficult to perform that even Agatha of the Elite Four could not train her Arbok to use it. It is rumored that Giovanni of Team Rocket keeps one in his collection, but this rumor holds little veracity: if he possessed such a strong pokemon, he surely would have used it.

The historical record shows many depictions of this Arbok, performing amazing feats such as slaying Dragonite and battling whole villages. None of these depictions included the actual pattern, for it is said that the Arbok either moved too fast to draw it or killed anyone who tried. Legends ascribe other powers to it, such as being able to burrow through solid rock and being worshiped as a god by other snake pokemon, although the veracity of these tales is often in doubt. Despite having never been caught or even properly recorded, the ultimate pattern Arbok's existence is widely acknowledged by scientists, most of whom hold out hope that one can someday day be captured for further study.


	25. Pikachu

Pikachu are a small species of pokemon which many people find cute, and for this reason have become quite popular as pets, even among people with little interest in pokemon battles. This is an unfortunate fact which leads to many electrocutions, for a Pikachu can be quite dangerous to handle.

Pikachu area a pokemon store electricity in their cheeks, but this electricity must be released on a semi-regular basis lest the pokemon use powerful electric attacks at random, shocking everything in sight. Typically this is handled by occasionally hooking the rodent up to a special battery which is recharged by its shock, then using the electricity to power the household. Furthermore, they do not only use thundershock to release energy, but also when startled or angry, and they do not have especially forgiving tempers. Many a trainer has been hospitalized or worse when quarreling with their pokemon, some passing away from shock wounds which could have been properly treated were the trainer not embarrassed for how this reflected upon them as a trainer. Moreover there is the issue of weather; Pikachu can seldom be cooped up inside for long, but they are prone to causing nearby people to be electrocuted in rain, and its tail can attract lightning in thunderstorms. Proper care involves the usage of a pokeball in inclement weather, but Pikachu are often reluctant to be so confined. Many inexperienced owners are equally reluctant to use them, fearing it will mark them as pokemon trainers and force them to accept challenges and see their precious Pikachu injured.

Despite this, with a gentle spirit and proper caution, Pikachu can make for excellent pets.


	26. Raichu

It is quite common to see a large electrical port shaped like a lightning bolt on portable game systems, flashlights, and other handheld electronic devices. These outlets are designed to be filled by a Raichu's tail, and trainers of Raichu quite commonly use them in this way on their journeys, especially when at some distance from civilization.

Raichu tails have frequently been described as natural plugs, and this description is not without merit. The long, cordlike tail allows the pokemon to put some distance between itself and the electronic device to prevent overcharging and even maintain some freedom of movement, although Raichu are more commonly used as chargers while sleeping. The lightning bolt end is fairly large, and true plugs are much smaller; oftentimes the tail port takes up half of a laptop's side. Compared to other electric pokemon or the difficulty of carrying around a generator, however, it is by far a superior choice.

Although Raichu are by no means useless in battle, it is for this usage as often as for combat that trainers purchase expensive Thunderstones to make their Pikachu evolve.


	27. Sandshrew

Today, balls for the popular sport of Goal Roll are made of leather or occasionally Grumpig hide. Not too long ago, live pokemon were used instead. There are many pokemon which are capable of filling this role – most pokemon who can learn the attack Rollout can do so, although some like the rock-type Geodude are too dense to kick around. Voltorb and Electrode are excellent for the role, being perfectly round, but far and away the most popular are Sandshrew.

A Sandshrew's brick-like texture is both recognizable and easy to kick or punch, the grooves making it fairly aerodynamic. Their tough skin and high defenses means that these moves will not especially hurt the pokemon: indeed, the goalies often find themselves more injured by Sandshrew kicked at a high speed. Furthermore, although hardly as ubitquous as Rattata, they are a fairly common pokemon who can be obtained for ballgames.

The Sandshrew themselves (or occasionally other ball-shaped pokemon) participated in the matches back then: each team brought its own ball. Although it was a penalty shot if they left their round shape for more than two seconds, they could still attack somewhat and direct their flight to influence the match in their team's favor.

In recent years, superior balls have been found, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Pokemon has managed to ban live pokemon from the professional leagues, where Jigglypuff and Voltorb were also occasionally used. This move has been derided by Goal Roll purists, who deride the new balls as less aerodynamic and unable to assist their teammates, blame them for a decrease in offense in the modern game, and long for the end of the dead ball era.


	28. Sandslash

Back when men fought with sword and shield, the most common among the shields were those made from Sandslash. Once a year, a Sandslash sheds its skin and the spikes left behind are gathered by skilled artisans which carve them into shields of the same texture.

Sandshrew exist in many places in the wild, but only on Route 23 do they commonly appear as Sandslash. This fact allowed the Indigo League to extend its dominance as far south as Pallet Town even back in the warring states' era, although it would be after Sandslash shields were left behind by technology that it gained its present mastery over Kanto and Johto.

A Sandslash shield could be used for attack and defense – it is made from the same tough coating as the rest of a Sandslash's skin, and the numerous spikes make it far too easy for a sword to get stuck, allowing valuable time for a counter-attack. When bashed into the enemy, it both bludgeons and stabs: a well-placed strike could be fatal. These shields, however, struggled to combat the advent of cavalry armies and were made obsolete by rifles, which fire bullets with more force than a Sandslash can block.

In the popular tabletop RPG Dungeons and Dragonite, Sandslash shields add a +2 to armor class and deal 1d4 damage.


	29. Nidoran female

The vast majority of pokemon exhibit a low rate of gender dimorphism. Compared to humans, the female and male of the species generally differ much less in height, have less prominent breasts (if mammalian) and less difference in facial structure: indeed, many pokemon can only be distinguished by the actual genitalia.

One of the most prominent exceptions to this rule is the Nidoran. The female of the species exhibit large whiskers and are light blue, while the males have a spikier body, a purple color and a long horn. Occasionally, intersex Nidoran are found, with the color of one type of Nidoran, but the physical appearance of another.

It is said that the whiskers and rounded ears of a female Nidoran give it senses not only superior to its male counterparts, but among the sharpest in the pokemon world. They are a shy race of pokemon who have learned the fear of man, and it is these senses which allow them to hide so well in the wild. Although they outnumbering the overhunted male of the species by a ratio of about 5-2, most trainers believe the two Nidoran to be of equivalent rarity.


	30. Nidorina

The pokemon world is a diverse place, and many cultures have had different interpretations of what the markings on the moon actually mean. To some they are men, to peoples at extreme latitudes cheese. Most commonly, they are said to represent a Nidorina, and therefore that pokemon is typically associated in myth with lunar deities, who are therefore considered female.

In reality, the markings could just as easily represent a Buneary, or perhaps a Nidorino or a Nidoran or even a Pikachu. But it is Nidorina who claims this title most often by far, for it is Nidorina who always seem to be staring up at the moon, waiting for a piece of it to fall to earth so they can evolve.

The origins of these mysterious moon shadows are still debated by astronomers, but current speculation holds them to be a sort of giant geoglyph, similar to the Pattern Bush in the Sevii Islands. Whether this means the moon is dominated by men who worship Nidorina (or perhaps some similar-shaped pokemon) a society of Nidorina themselves, or something else far stranger is known only to its inhabitants and the Clefairy.


	31. Nidoqueen

Nidoqueen are said to be the queen of the Safari Zone, a majestic pokemon fit only for royalty. History has shown them to be far more popular among usurpers, petty lords and dictators than actual rightful kings. Giovanni's Nidoqueen is the latest in this long tradition.

There are some who speculate that the fact that they have Nidoqueen is why these tyrants are able to gain power, and not the other way around. It is true that they are powerful pokemon, with tough skin and the ability to create earthquakes when they stomp the ground: many have strengthened an army, but they are not so strong as for a single one of them to be the difference between victory and defeat in warfare.

The reality of the situation is equal parts tradition and megalomania. Those with pretensions to monarchy catch Nidorina and search high and low for moon stones, in the hope of legitimizing themselves through their possession of a pokemon of monarchs. But it is also true that Nidoqueen are pokemon which love luxury and battle and spur their trainers to seek the power of a king, so that as a king's pokemon they can win for themselves a power not unlike a queen's.


	32. Nidoran male

By all rights, male Nidoran should be more common than their female counterparts in the wild. They have a sharper hide, a more potent venom, and a long horn, all of which make them much more able to defend themselves. But a male Nidoran's horn is a double-edged one, as it is for this horn's special properties that they have been hunted to rarity, if thankfully not a place next to Bulbasaur, Lapras, and Farfetch'd on the Endangered Pokemon List.

When ground up, the horn produces a nearly tasteless poison which can knock a grown man out instantly. This poison is typically used by kidnappers and date rapists, and a lucrative black market exists in the Nidoran horn trade. Although some are harvested by scientists for legitimate uses, such as Rapidash tranquilizers, the vast majority are traded in the black market.

Some have advocated a program of tagging Nidoran to effectively snuff out this trade, but their pleas have been rejected on the grounds of expense. Instead, the police content themselves with occasional raids and monitoring of habitat which have proven ineffective at stopping the poaching of Nidoran horns.


	33. Nidorino

Occasionally, a trainer competes in the pokemon league who has not fully evolved all their pokemon. Perhaps it is the weak sister of the team and evolves late, perhaps, like Yellow, they prefer their pokemon's earlier forms, or perhaps the pokemon themselves wish not to evolve. Typically, they are eliminated in the first or second round: evolution provides most pokemon with such a great boost in ability that no amount of training or tactical acumen can compensate.

The one notable exception to this rule was Bruno (now of the Elite Four) who as a younger trainer used a Nidorino alongside his powerful Steelix, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Machamp. In the first couple matches of the tournament, he used his Nidorino last, and managed to catch his opponents underestimating him; in the higher rounds, he used it first and still no one could stand up to it. The finals saw a sleeping Nidorino sent out against Agatha's Gengar; its dreams were eaten, then it woke up, jumped onto the ghost and bit it so hard it was said that it stole its dreams back. Bruno was champion.

He would later be defeated by a dragon trainer named Lance, but would not use his Nidorino in that battle. Some say that, unable to control it after his loss, he released it into Victory Road. They go on to claim that it tracks down and takes on worthy trainers and even once defeated Moltres. If the stories are to be believed, the Nidorino was traumatized by the Gengar's attack and seeks a new trainer, one who can control its hatred of ghosts and allow it a good night's sleep once again.


	34. Nidoking

It is true that at the moment there are no wild Nidoking. This is not to say that they never appear in the wild; it is simply that the average lifespan of a wild Nidoking is about one year before they are killed in battle. It is a good thing for all of us that they are. Nidoking are great pillagers, great barbarians, a desperate and successful gasp of wild pokemon pushing back against the march of human civilization.

When a stone falls from the moon to the earth and a wild Nidorino finds it, they walk through the tall grass at night attracting followers by the simple fact of their existence. After evolving from Nidorino, Nidoking become kings in the old sense of the term – not solely by birth, but also by valor, winning their subjects' esteem so they can lead them into war, and growing their army with every victory. When a human stumbles upon it and escapes alive, or when one has gathered a sufficient pokemon force, they lead armies to descend on nearby towns. When they reach one, Nidoking personally crush buildings by using Earthquake and command their troops to kill every human they find. Some of these attacks have entered the history books, typically as among the most dire challenge a city or nation has faced, the kind which makes men pledge loyalty to their old enemies in a desperate hope for survival.

Others only enter the archaeological record, provided the pokemon have grown peaceful enough with time that the archaeologists can find it. Not all wilderness has always been that way.


	35. Clefairy

It is a strange surrender for science to describe Clefairy as "magical" - in truth, there is some explanation for all their strange attacks and abilities, just one which has eluded professors to this day. Their haunting, unearthly song, critical hit-preventing chants, immunity to status effects, and ability to sacrifice themselves to revive other pokemon surely have their own internal logic no less rational than our own. Scientists have surrendered because xenobiology is a bizarre field which requires old assumptions to be thrown out the window; Clefairy are so strange, so literally alien, that no one has come close to understanding them in the way which we understand how Charmander store fire in their stomachs for flamethrower.

And there is a great deal about Clefairy which suggests magic. The way in which they chant their name while moving their hands and making all sorts of attacks come to life was probably the inspiration for stories about wizards. To be fair, Metronome is chaos magic, not magic from spellbooks: it calls down a random technique which is as often useless or counterproductive as it is useful, and is used only in desperation. There is no such thing as a Clefairy which can summon fireballs.

But Metronome captured human imaginations enough that Clefairy dolls were made by the millions for sale as a magical totem. They have none of the powers which New Age hucksters claim, and are generally regarded by right-thinking people as a scam or a cute but overpriced decoration, but for some strange reason (which surely can be explained by science) they maintain the ability to scare wild pokemon away.


	36. Clefable

The vast majority of winged pokemon use them to traverse the air. A few bugs, such as Beedrill and Venomoth, have wings which are primarily used in other attacks such as Poisonpowder and fly low through the forests despite lacking the flying type.

A Clefable's wings are commonly believed to be purely for decoration, having no obvious use, but this is not actually the case. In the reduced gravity of the moon and the upper atmosphere, Clefable fly around on the back of their tiny wings; it is simply that Earth's gravity is too strong to allow them to fly. However, they remain awkward pokemon on land and continue to seek a way back to the stars.

To this end, the Clefable invited Zubat to share their caves beneath Mount Moon, in the hopes of evolving them and using them as mounts. Unfortunately for the Clefable, few Zubat evolved within such cramped living conditions, and those who did led the Zubat to turn against their hosts. In a ferocious war mostly unseen by man, the Zubat killed all the Clefable and most of the Clefairy and seized the caves for themselves.

It is said that some caves have remained property of the Clefable, their entrance barred to human and Zubat alike, and that only on the night of the full moon do the Clefairy and Clefable emerge to pray for a spaceship to return them home.


	37. Vulpix

Virtually all ghost pokemon take on a different appearance from their living form, one sufficiently distinct that few can tell what kind of pokemon they were in life. Even in those which are known to be connected to a living species, such as Gengar and Clefable, there is no mistaking the living for the dead.

This is not the case with Vulpix. A trained Vulpix is a fire-type pokemon with no ghostly powers or techniques save Will-o-Wisp. This is because these are the only ones weak enough to be caught in the wild and because Vulpix live longer lives than their trainers in captivity. A flame burns hot inside the body of each living Vulpix which acts as the pokemon's life force; when it burns out or is doused by water or injury, the Vulpix becomes a ghost.

There is no safe way to tell the living Vulpix from the walking dead: one can attempt to determine it through provocation, but this typically results in a fatal Curse (if dead) or Flamethrower (if living) Consequently, estimates of what percentage of Vulpix today are alive vary wildly, from a twentieth to a half of the total Vulpix population. As ghosts they gain the ability to curse their enemies, summon apparitions, and shapeshift into small children.

It is said that if you take in an orphaned child and raise it with compassion and honor, it may turn out to not be a human child, but a ghost Vulpix. If this happens, you will be rewarded with good fortune and long life. Some believe this to be true to this day, but most consider it a tall tale invented by governments and clergy to facilitate the placement of orphaned children with loving families.


	38. Ninetales

It was said that touching a Ninetales' tail will bring about a curse which lasts a thousand years. The fans of the Cherrygrove Electabuzz are elated to learn that this one only lasted eighty-six.

Cherrygrove dominated the baseball world around the turn of the last century, winning championship after championship until a game with the now-dominant Goldenrod Giants, then called the Ninetales. The Electabuzz won the last game of the championship series by a single run in a game which saw beanball wars and bench-clearing brawls. The Electabuzz were playing in Goldenrod and the players were more than willing to rub their success in the home team's faces, a championship celebration turned into a riot which even the mascots (live pokemon back then) got involved in. It ended with an Electabuzz grabbing a Ninetales and sending a powerful electric shock through its tail, sending it to the emergency wing of the pokemon center. It would have its revenge.

The owner of the Electabuzz soon ran into financial trouble and was forced to sell off the teams stars. They would rebound in time, at one point losing the Johto Championship in the finals every three years, almost always in the last possible game. The fans of Cherrygrove became known far and wide for their loyalty, following their team through heartbreaking loss after heartbreaking loss, going so far as to hire a string of exorcists to no avail. The Ninetales fans were willing to taunt their fallen rivals, but in time became so horrified by their foe's bad luck that they changed the team's name. And then last year on a walk-off home run the Electabuzz somehow topped the baseball world once again.

Compared to most Ninetales victims, the fans of Cherrygrove got off incredibly easy.


	39. Jigglypuff

The inside of a Jigglypuff, like that of a red giant star, is filled with helium. It is unknown how a pokemon came to have this unusual composition – most are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen – but their ability to evolve with a Moon Stone suggests an extraterrestrial origin. Although they are capable of walking on land, it is also common to see a Jigglypuff drifting aimlessly through the skies.

It is this property which inspired the invention of the balloon. The first balloons were not made of rubber, but were Jigglypuff with strings tied to them, which would float thirty feet in the air for the purposes of observation and the amusement of children. The Jigglypuff were often unpleased with being used in this manner, and after one too many incidents of marker to the face, balloons made of non-living materials became popular instead.

This usage of Jigglypuff is still recalled in their ability to inflate and carry a rider for short periods of time. Occasionally they are controlled by a small fire-type pokemon held below it by the trainer in a way similar to a hot air balloon. They are not used for intercity flight, as they move slowly and can not stay aloft for longer than a couple hours. Nonetheless, when escaping from a mountain or a tall building, Jigglypuff are extremely valuable to trainers who do not have any large flying-type pokemon on their team.


	40. Wigglytuff

Wigglytuff are known as a cute species of pokemon which exude happiness and whose song can brighten the darkest day. They are considered to be pokemon as cheerful as Cubone are sad. This is the impression they strive to give off, and most of them are quite skillful at it. It is also an absolute lie.

Few Wigglytuff are orphans, to be fair. But the moon stone warps something in every Jigglypuff's heart, filling it with memories of their bitter exile from the moon and float through space down to earth, of long-lost friends who got hit by asteroids before they could finish the journey, of shunning (in the case of wild Wigglytuff) from their friends and family, for evolution was said to be forbidden until the moon was theirs again.

Some say that when a Wigglytuff opens its mouth, there are no teeth and no tongue, but a darkness impervious to all light which spreads throughout the pokemon's body. This is in all likelihood a myth, like that of Wigglytuff being immune to psychic attacks and afraid of bugs, but the metaphor is an apt one.


	41. Zubat

It should not be surprising that a pokemon which itself is frequently called an "epidemic" and "infestation" should also be one of the leading vectors of disease in the pokemon world. Zubat are not only fearsome in appearance, with their lack of eyes, purple wings, and fangs, but also extremely dangerous to an unprepared pokemon.

A Zubat's mouth is open frequently for the purposes of echolocation, but this is quite unsanitary and leaves it easy prey for airborne viruses: rare is even the cold which a Zubat does not catch. Although it is far from the only pokemon to learn techniques such as leech life and bite, its sharp fangs pierce the skin deeper and are shaped in a way which allows for the easy transmission of viruses. Finally, its poison-type immune system keeps it alive to carry diseases which would kill an ordinary pokemon.

Thankfully for humans, it is pokemon who suffer the brunt of Zubat bites, although woe betide those who venture into a cave without a pokeball. Typically Zubat infections can be cured at a pokemon center, but occasionally they run across incurable mutant diseases, most of which kill fast and spread faster.

To add insult to injury, Zubat are believed to be one of the few pokemon which can not spread the Pokerus, a strange pathogen which increases a pokemon's abilities and is prized by trainers worldwide.


	42. Golbat

It is rare for any species of pokemon to be universally loathed across cultural backgrounds, especially one which is not of the dark type and will not attack humans unless provoked. Nonetheless, Golbat have been demonized (quite literally, in many religions), used as a motif for villainy and terror (including in recent years by Team Rocket, which frequently handed out Golbat to its members) and become the subject of deliberate extermination campaigns. Their imposing fangs, wings, long tongue, and association with the night terrify people in a way which neither Zubat nor Crobat ever do, and humans have confronted this fear with bigotry and unthinking vengeance.

The environmental movement has made some progress in recent years at rehabilitating Golbat's image, but it is a long struggle with setbacks whenever a foul-spirited trainer uses a Golbat to commit crimes or puts one on their flag when conquering nations – never mind that virtually all pokemon are loyal to their trainers. Indeed, some have privately mused it would be easier to preserve caves if Golbat didn't exist; when they talk about the need to protect endangered cave pokemon, their opponents describe it as a breeding ground for Golbat.

Some would think that, because they can still be found in wide numbers in parts of some caves where most trainers fear to enter, this superstitious loathing has had little ill effect. This is not true, for Golbat did not evolve in caves, but were pushed there by human aggression.


	43. Oddish

It is the domestication of Oddish, more than any other plant, which marks the difference between a hunter-gatherer society and an agricultural one. The body is edible, but seldom eaten, as doing so kills the pokemon and it is uneconomical to do so when they could continue to grow leaves. The leaves, on the other hand, are rich in nutrients and the staple of many agrarian people's diets. Once cut off, they grow back in about a year. Typically, they are harvested every fall.

The most challenging part is to keep the Oddish from running off or rebelling, for pruning is an unpleasant and unwanted experience for the pokemon. Greenhouses are expensive and were impossible to build before the discovery of glass, and although soil can be potted, leaving them indoors reduces the amount of solar energy they receive to unhealthy levels. Traditionally walls were used, high enough to prevent them from escaping, but through methods like stacking each other, vine whip chains, and using sleep powder or stun spore on the farmer, massive breakaways were common, although the majority of Oddish harvests were successful.

The first governments were created as much for the need to round up escaped Oddish as the need to control flood plains.


	44. Gloom

The vile musk which Gloom are infamous for is not the only scent the grass/poison pokemon is capable of producing. Much in the same way it can choose to spray sleep powder or stun spore, a Gloom can also activate various scents, most notably a sweet one like a Hoppip's which draws pokemon near.

The way this scent is used varies from Gloom to Gloom, and some say depends more on the trainer than the pokemon. Some Gloom, if their trainer endures their smell and treats them with kindness, will release this sweet scent in their trainer's presence. Other, more mean-spirited or mistreated ones will use it to draw people close, than switch odors to its noxious smell and release fumes which often require hospitalization of all those who inhale them.

Interestingly, while the noxious smell is distilled into a perfume, the sweet one is more commonly used by athletes as a deodorant. After a few hours when bottled, all that remains of the sweet fumes are its abilities to block other smells and attract wild pokemon.


	45. Vileplume

Typically, pokemon used in war are large and powerful beasts. Although grass pokemon have a long history of military usage, for techniques like stun spore can be devastating with the wind at one's back, typically the grass pokemon used were those like Venusaur, sturdy beasts who could take a hit.

In the early 20th century, an innovative young general came up with the idea of using Vileplume gas to break the stalemate in the trenches of the Great Pokemon War. When its sleep powder and stun spore are combined with gunpowder and its allergy-causing pollen, a devastating poison gas was created which burned off the faces of the opposition and turned the tide in the war.

That general would go on to become a great conqueror, winning election from the prestige of his invention. He was bequeathed among his territory ownership of the gym in Celadon City, which is in the hands of his great-granddaughter Erika to this day.

The weapon was reverse-engineered after a few years of dramatic opposition by the nations of the world. The next decade saw many wars, but also many soldiers returning with the unbearable pain and injuries of Vileplume Gas: some said death was kinder. It was to ban this substance that the first international laws of war were developed, although they have since been vastly expanded beyond the original ban on Vileplume.


	46. Paras

The term "parasite" referring to animals, pokemon, plants, and diseases which live off the nutrients of a host is derived from the pokemon Paras. As most parasites are microscopic, or at the very least internal and much smaller than the host, it is commonly believed by children and the undereducated that the mushrooms on Paras' back soak up nutrients from the Paras.

In reality, the reverse is true; they are not called "mushroomites" after all. A Paras' mushrooms are not true mushrooms, but a plant which has evolved to look like a fungus to protect itself from predators. They can be found on their own in varying quantities, sometimes even in abundance, but there are no Paras without "mushrooms" on their back. Paras attach these plants to their backs, leeching chlorophyll from the sun, as they are too slow and weak to find food on their own.

This relationship is not, however, a wholly one-sided affair. When planted on a Paras' back, mushrooms are known to grow larger and spread their seeds further than when left in the ground. In truth, the term "parasite" is a complete misnomer, albeit one which remains in the language through established use and the lack of an alternative.


	47. Parasect

In battle, Parasect use their spores to put their opponents to sleep. This is a fairly powerful technique, but not a perfect one: most pokemon are light sleepers, and the excitement of a battle and pain of enemy attacks will awaken even a Snorlax.

Humans are not so immune to Parasect spores. Although the modern era has seen better sleep aids refined, insomniacs around the world have traditionally used pokemon in this capacity. And while sleep powder is common among all grass and bug pokemon, it is not especially useful; at times it does nothing, and typically these powders offer only enough sleep for a long nap.

Parasect spore is far more effective, and the problem with it typically falls on the other end: the especially deep sleep it produces usually involves oversleeping for an hour or two. At times, people have been known to miss entire days or even fall into years-long comas after inhaling too many spores. Despite these risks, Parasect spores were still dominant even in the cities of Kanto until this generation, and many older men and women continue to swear by them to this day.


	48. Venonat

Fuchsia City has never followed a foreign policy of true neutrality; such a thing would interfere with the profits of the dominant Koga clan of ninjas. Despite this, its rulers have sought to stay out of direct conflicts, preferring assassination to war and abandoning alliances when they placed their home city in danger. Even were its foreign policy more activist, however, few would attack such a city. Fuchsia is a compound of armed ninjas disguised as a small provincal town, with connections to the powerful pokemon of the Safari Zone.

And yet when war did come to Fuchsia – a horrific war which took the lives of 30% of the last generation across the pokemon world – it was not the **powerful** pokemon which saved them, but the Venonat, a pokemon regarded at the time as a household pest.

When the invisible airship fleet approached – as every child of Fuchsia knows, but as precious few do elsewhere – the Venonat's powerful compound eyes made the fleet no less visible to them than a flock of Charizard. They scattered around the city, alerted trainers through elaborate gestures, and pointed with their antennae to the invisible enemy. One volley of attacks – ninja and pokemon alike – and the stealth fighters which were not downed instantly scattered in panic.

Never again would Fuchsia City be attacked in the war; both sides realized that it could not be taken, even by surprise. The Venonat, for their part, became the city's symbol, so beloved that none would ever lack for food within its wooden walls. The gym leader at the time demoted a Muk from his lineup in favor of a Venonat and gained in popularity what he lost in strength; as for strength, it soon evolved anyway.


	49. Venomoth

Venomoth are typically a solitary pokemon, meeting up with others of its species only briefly to mate or when lured together by streetlights. But when a city or forest is about to burn, even before the smoke rises a swarm of Venomoth will descend upon the area and wait for the blaze.

This is not, as commonly believed, a form of mass suicide. Venomoth are weak to fire, and some of the more careless ones are burnt to a crisp, but the reason they do this is a far more common one in nature; they need to eat. Many small insects are flushed out of houses and trees by flames, and it is these which make up the majority of a Venomoth's diet; to them, a fire is a feast.

Tragically, this attraction to flames has drawbacks which kill even more Venomoth than the fire itself. Believing them to be a cause of the fire, and not merely a scavenger, superstition has labeled this pokemon an enemy. When a forest burns, they are safe, but when a city burns more Venomoth are killed by trainers and trained pokemon than by the fire itself.


	50. Diglett

Although now far better known as an arcade standby, the pastime of whacking Diglett over the head has a much longer history. Diglett are a remarkably quick pokemon, prone to surfacing their heads and lowering them at an extremely fast rate. Because of this, children since ancient times have used long sticks to hit them as they surface as a test of their reflexes, competing among one another to see who could hit the most in a set timeframe, typically playing until all the Diglett were knocked out. The Arena Trap ability possessed by this pokemon made the (often terrified or injured) Diglett unwittingly force them to stay until one of them was knocked out. Soon after their invention, pokeballs were added to the ends of the mallets, and the whack-a-Diglett game became a popular if dangerous method for young people near Diglett Cave to catch themselves a starting pokemon; the Diglett often whacked back.

As the world entered a less harsh age, the game began to die out. Pokeballs attached to mallets continued to be a common way of catching wild Diglett, but the test of reflexes against a whole horde was virtually extinct. The introduction of foam and rubber to Kanto saw a brief revival of the game's fortunes, but the modern era also saw a population decline in the area as people moved from the outskirts of the cave to Viridian and Vermillion cities, along with a greater amount of options for entertainment..

Indeed, the Diglett game had almost died out entirely again, until an enterprising old inventor nostalgic for a lost childhood game turned it into an arcade hit as popular as pokemon pinball. Today, Diglett again must fear being whacked, as legions of arcade-goers have ventured to their cave to try out the real thing.


	51. Dugtrio

Some say that four Donphan atop a Torterra are the pillars on which the world rests. In reality, it are the Dugtrio which have the best claim to this title.

Dugtrio, like Diglett, have long been believed to be rodents, based on their small height, faces, and claws, the latter revealed only for certain attacks. At times, they appear to defy the laws of physics; even when released indoors or in midair, they materialize on the ground, a small head poking out of the surface. Ancient philosophers have speculated on what was beneath the surface, but digging only met with ferocious hostility and earthquakes, so no such information could be confirmed.

Recent geological advance have revealed Dugtrio to be a pokemon so enormous it dwarfs Wailord, one whose rounded pillar-shaped body reaches into the Earth's mantle, and those seen above the surface are a tiny fraction of the species' whole. They are as common meters below the surface as Rattata on land or Zubat in caves. It is only their narrow width which prevents massive earthquakes every time one is caught.

When too many are captured, the earthquakes do occur, and when angered or in battle Dugtrio often create their own small quake, one typically too weak to topple buildings. Together, they have frequently used this enormous, earthquake-causing size as a weapon. Cities which dug too carelessly and deep for mineral wealth, without any concern for pokemon or environmental damage, have often found themselves buried in the very ground they sought to dig up, trapped forever for the sin of angering the Dugtrio.


	52. Meowth

When Meowth and its Pay Day attack were first discovered, it prompted a flurry of speculation so great it threatened to collapse the world's economy. The idea that a pokemon (even a rare one) could produce coins identical to those minted by governments from silver and gold mined at great expense was enough to trigger a period of lost savings and desperate purchases and massive inflation. Wealthy business interests and governments battled over Meowth habitat, seeking a pokemon apparently worth more than its weight in gold.

They were fighting for nothing.

It is true that Pay Day produces money, but it is a small amount, not a world-breaking one. Meowth are a high-maintenance pokemon with large appetites, but were this the only issue, Meowth gold would still be a profitable enterprise on par with farming Miltank. Those who attempted this enterprise soon found a far more damning issue: kleptomania.

Meowth produce coins, but they are also drawn to them. Shiny and round objects have been known to attract them from miles away for them to steal and add to their hoard. Few of these stashes have ever been found by trainers, and they typically steal far more than they create, and from their trainers before their neighbors. Most Meowth farmers went bankrupt, while a few learned to keep their pokemon on a leash and watch its front paws – and hide their own money for good measure. These lessons have been passed down to every Meowth trainer today, and most who use them can break even based on the battling income they provide, but the very idea of investing in Meowth remains a synonym for self-destructive foolishness to this day.


	53. Persian

The ancestors of Persian were enormous beasts with long saber teeth, related to Raikou and Mew. They were not normal-type pokemon, but psychics whose power emanated from an enormous red jewel on their foreheads and could shoot thunderbolts from their giant whiskers. Like most of the pokemon world's megafauna, a mixture of climate change and overhunting wiped them out, and only their smaller, weaker descendants are alive today.

Modern Persian jewels are usually a vestigial body part, akin to a human's tailbone or an Empoleon's wings. However, there is a limited atavism found in Persian throughout the ages: they do not regrow their old fangs or size, but they learn electric attacks without special training, and powerful psychic attacks which cause their jewels to grow a deep crimson hue. They are also expert ventriloquists, able to move their mouths to telepathy to the point where virtually all trainers mistake it for human speech.

There only two atavistic, psychic Persian confirmed to be alive today. This is not an unusually low number; such Persian are extremely rare. One of them is kept as a pet by Sabrina of Saffron City, and the other is believed to be in the possession of Team Rocket.


	54. Psyduck

For all mankind's inventions – volcano monitoring, satellite tracking of hurricanes, and the like – there remains no better predictor of natural disasters than the intensity of a Psyduck's headache. Although perpetually confused and in pain, Psyduck possess a telepathic bond with the Earth itself. When the world cries out in pain and upheaval, this link activates, causing its headaches to grow ever worse and its telekinesis to often become uncontrollable. Although some inexperienced trainers can not discern the difference between this and the pokemon's normal erratic behavior, wise men have learned to run for cover whenever a Psyduck cries out in pain.

Unfortunately for those in some hotspots, these cries happen regardless of the nature of the disaster in question. It is not unheard of for people to run for cover on a Psyduck's warning fearing a hurricane, only to be crushed by that very cover in a freak earthquake. It is this issue, more than any others, which has taught man about the need to invent better ways to predict disasters; so far, they have largely failed. Furthermore, many trainers have begun feeding headache medication to their Psyduck, which although making them far more effective in battle (provided their strategy does not involve psychic attacks) means there is not nearly as often a Psyduck around capable of giving warnings.

Two years ago, a group of Psyduck began to block the way to Mount Coronet. Although occasionally dispersed by the usage of certain potions, they always return within days. The Sinnoh League has begun preparations for a massive evacuation, but independent analyses still predict massive casualties should Coronet finally erupt.


	55. Golduck

It is written in the holy scriptures that when Arceus gave names to all the pokemon, he gave them names related to their form. For instance, Magmar's name comes from magma, and Bulbasaur is a saurian pokemon with a bulb on its back. In the case of Golduck, it has been argued that even Arceus makes mistakes; although Psyduck are golden in color, Golduck are quite distinctly blue.

Golduck are not gold, but they are athletic. Their large spiked head, quick running speed, long legs and tail make them the perfect scorers in Goal Roll and related games such as soccer. Furthermore, like Bagon, they are an exceptionally determined pokemon which will always pursue their goals.

It is for these reasons that theologians are of the opinion that it was not Arceus, but man who was mistaken, and that the pokemon's name is properly spelled as Goalduck. More skeptical minds consider this a weak apologia for an obvious mistake.


	56. Mankey

Although quite far down the list of pokemon which pose a danger to humans, Mankey as a species are unmatched in their aggressiveness and ferocity. They are both brave and brutish; they will pick fights whether their battles would be easy victories against weak and often unwilling foes or impossible struggles against legends. Their courage has won them many accolades, which they typically squander just as quickly by fighting just as ferociously against young children who wander into tall grass.

Because of this ferocity, they are typically considered to be dumb beasts; in reality, they are nothing of the sort. As far as non-psychic pokemon go, pokemon neurology has demonstrated convincingly that Mankey possess brains nearly as developed and intelligent as humans. It is commonly thought that the combination of a self-aware brain and a body which can only run, punch, and repeat its name creates a great deal of frustration which drives Mankey to rage against everything in sight.

There are, however, those who believe that Mankey's aggression does not stem solely from frustration and existential angst. After all, Mankey's closest living relative (apart from Primeape) is Man, which is no stranger to assault, murder, and war.


	57. Primeape

The various martial arts disciplines and sports around the world are typically based on the techniques used by fighting-type pokemon. For instance, boxing is based on a Hitmonchan's movements and techniques, and wrestling on that of a Machamp. The vast majority of these martial arts are based around ideas of strict internal calm and discipline, some even going so far as to emulate the psychic attack meditate.

The one notable exception to this was the Primeape fighting style. It was not designed for self-defense or sport, but for military use; as Primeape use tools, so do Primeape fighters use weapons. Instead of learning to clear their thoughts, they were taught to recall every indignity they had ever suffered and turn all their sadness into anger, and in battle to call up an uncontrollable rage. They would fight with unchallenged ferocity, always to the death, and pursue fleeing or even surrendered opponents over long distances with exceptional stamina before tearing them to pieces.

I refer to this discipline in the past tense, for it is no more. Through their status as elite troops, the Primeape fighters amassed a great deal of power, but the way they fought made them far more feared than loved. The warlords of Kanto who employed them secretly sent a team of envoys to the emperor to request that their use be outlawed, and the emperor eagerly complied. Some bands lay down their arms, while others turned on their masters and resisted with the kind of courage that epics are written about. They were all wiped out to the last man.

Some have attempted to resurrect the art in modern times, but none of the attempted successors have produced fighters worthy of the Primeape name.


	58. Growlithe

Without the domestication of Growlithe, some believe that mankind today would still be living in caves. It is fire which allowed man to cook food and warm shelters, to defend itself through flaming weapons and keep hostile pokemon away eons before man invented the pokeball and became master of nature itself. And it is Growlithe, a friend to humanity through all ages, which brought fire to Man.

Were fire alone the benefit accrued to mankind by the presence of this pokemon, it would have been far more than enough! But it was not. Growlithe eat Rattata, Zubat, and other vectors of disease so common in the pokemon world. They need little sleep, and while serving as playmates by day, spend the nights guarding the caves which nocturnal pokemon threaten. They naturally sniff out and attack criminals, allowing to this day for the preservation of good government and checking the corruption of the police force. And most importantly, it was through their bonds with Growlithe that man learned the lessons of pokemon training, which he would apply to more and more species until the world itself was his own.

It is no small wonder that, among primitive peoples, Arcanine is far and away the most revered of the gods – for it must have seemed like divine protection that a pokemon like Growlithe was around to helped man through its earliest, most trying age.


	59. Arcanine

Typically, to speak of a legendary pokemon is to speak of a unique pokemon. There is one Articuno, whether it rests in the seafoam islands or races around Sinnoh. There are two Mew, but one is a clone so warped it's considered "Mewtwo", a different pokemon entirely. And yet, anyone with a Growlithe and a Fire Stone (which you can buy at the Celadon department store) can possess an Arcanine.

These Arcanine, however, are pale copies of the original. While some legendary pokemon have been captured by great trainers and only regained freedom after their deaths, Arcanine – the real Arcanine – has never been captured. It is a beast more like Groudon or Kyogre in size than Entei, capable of running across all Eurasia in the space of a couple days, and its fire is hot enough to melt the Onix it steps on when racing around the world for fun.

Its cult is among the largest and most faithful of all the world's legendary pokemon. Arceus, although always acknowledged as creator, is too distant to attract much devotion, and most of the legends hole themselves up in caves like hikkikomori, completely withdrawn from the world, or run away whenever encountered by man. Arcanine, however, seems as though it is everywhere performing miracles and setting the unholy aflame, and it always sticks around for its temples to pay their respects. Even its commonality makes it more popular: it is far easier to relate to a big, evolved Growlithe than some weird thunderbird.

More legends have sprung up about Arcanine than any other pokemon, and it is with good reason that the Pokedex calls Articuno a freeze pokemon, and only Arcanine a legendary.


	60. Poliwag

The skin of a Poliwag is semi-transparent, especially in the white circle on its chest. Through detailed study, its internal organs are visible – not just the spital-shaped intestine, but if you look closely, even the brain and heart can be seen. This fact has made Poliwag a staple of science classes for young children, as they could be used to study anatomy without forcing the children to dissect a pokemon.

In ancient times, it was from analyzing Poliwag that the science of medicine begun. Observing them in nature allowed people around the world to discern the functions of various body parts, along with the common mishaps they suffered. It was not perfect knowledge – Poliwag are amphibians, only distantly related to humans – but knowledge in this field grew by leaps and bounds, and in the age of antiquity man through Poliwag had already begun to understand that humans and pokemon are related.

Interestingly, it was only a few centuries ago that Chansey were effectively domesticated, and before this, it was Poliwag which nurses kept on hand in pokemon centers. As assistants, they were not nearly as helpful as Chansey. Their oily skin, hypnosis technique and water type made them worth having around, but their use owed as much to tradition as to utility.


	61. Poliwhirl

Poliwhirl are a pokemon commonly found in lakes and rivers where humans swim. Typically, the two coexist peacefully; humans occasionally collide into Poliwhirl because of their water-like color, the Poliwhirl shrug it off and swim a little deeper next time.

Occasionally, an unfortunate swimmer dives too deep within the water and gets lost in the swirl on a Poliwhirl's stomach. Although on land the spiral must deliberately rotate to hypnotize, and even then often fails to so much as put the opponent to sleep, with a background of murky water, and with it undulating as it does when a Poliwhirl swims the white-and-black circle gains a special potency. Swimmers are taught from a young age to close their eyes when they dive underwater to avoid the Poliwhirl swirl, but occasionally one of them forgets to do so or lacks the good sense to listen, catches sight of the swirl, and falls asleep instantly.

Typically, they will drown before they wake up. Those who are rescued will unfailingly describe vivid and wonderful dreams, and will inevitably return to the water (over the desperate pleas of loved ones) to have those dreams once again.


	62. Poliwrath

Although Gyarados is the pokemon which sailors tell frightful legends about encountering, far more sailors have lost their lives in battle to Poliwrath. Poliwrath possess muscles nearly as powerful as Machamp and have enough strength to punch through all known types of sailing craft. They remain a danger to this day, as the advent of metal coating and thicker hulls has done little if anything to make this more difficult for their fists.

Wild Poliwrath are even rarer than wild Gyarados; it is the trained ones sailors must watch out for. Naval combat since the discovery of water stones has been fought below as well as above the surface of the water, as elite squadrons of Poliwrath battle platoons of other water pokemon, seeking to sink the ships which fire powerful cannons and carry soldiers to other battles. More ships are sunk by Poliwrath than by other ships, and because of the ever-present danger produced by this pokemon, navies in the pokemon world typically rely on small, fast boats which can transport soldiers and supplies as quickly as possible. A large cruiser is a sitting Psyduck.

In light of this, it is unsurprising that the submarine is also known as the mechanical Poliwrath. Militarily, real Poliwrath continue to be more valuable, and submarines have been slow to catch on.


	63. Abra

Apart from the legendary beasts and a few other divinities, Abra is the only pokemon which has truly learned the fear of man. While most pokemon attack trainers, and a few (like Chansey and Tauros) wait to determine if the trainer is hostile, Wild Abra respond to any encounter with a human by teleporting away.

For generations, it was believed that this was because Abra can **only** use this technique, but recent observations from far-off have revealed that they are also capable of using each and every technique known by a Kadabra of equivalent experience. It is simply that Abra never use them in the wild, and once trained refuse to use other attacks until a trainer has proven his or herself by sticking with it until it evolves.

Abra are the youngest form of the super-intelligent Alakazam and possess a remarkable talent for mind-reading. Perhaps they fear human contact so much more than other pokemon because they alone can truly see the wretched minds of mankind. Then again, perhaps this is only a childish, black-and-white understanding of human nature: Abra, after all, evolve into Kadabra.


	64. Kadabra

It is quite rare for any pokemon not of the dark type to become seen as a symbol of evil, but the usage of Kadabra during the war have made them more than deserving of that title. In battle, of course, they were no more good or evil than any other pokemon, but their usage on prisoners of war is the sort of atrocity one would expect of Darkrai, not a psychic like Kadabra.

It is no accident that the torture squads of the regime whose name is forbidden to be spoken had two lightning-bolt 'S's on their uniforms. Officially, they stood for Soul Silver, the name of the paramilitary order, but they were quite clearly based on the markings which appear on every Kadabra's stomach. Most of these trainers carried Kadabra, and they would enthusiastically take part in the abuse of prisoners of war and captured dissidents.

After the war, most of those who were broken said that they could endure thumbscrews, the rack, and waterboarding, but not the agony of Kadabra's personalized psychic attacks.


	65. Alakazam

It is one of prehistory's greatest oddities that it is Man and not Alakzam which became the world's dominant species. It would seem to anyone that Alakazam were primed for dominance; their intelligence is so vast that human tests fail completely at measuring, and the opposable thumb is far inferior to telekinesis. And yet it is Man which rules from Isshu to Kanto, and Alakazam which are primarily found within pokeballs.

Odder still, Alakazam do not use their brains to command armies, manage economies, or any of the other myriad tasks which intelligent humans and supercomputers perform; perhaps their trainers fear that, given such authority, they would rebel. Or perhaps they find these tasks so simple and unappealing that they refuse them as an insult to their genius. These pokemon have excellent brains for the recollection of memory, but little in the way of creativity, and they were not able to invent civilization. Alakazam have declined to answer, however, and humans lack the intelligence to comprehend their minds.

It is currently believed that most Alakazam spend their days in unrelenting sorrow, so intelligent that nothing actually occupies their mind – and this sorrow is one which dulls mental acuity. A powerful brain is more hindrance than help for those who spend all their time moping, a piece of wisdom which Alakazam know all too well.


	66. Machop

Machop have long tossed around boulders with super-strength and jumped over skyscrapers, but it is only with the advent of comics that they became seen as a pokemon which fight crime. In the old days, their ability to smash walls and windows and lift heavy objects made them a favorite of criminals, not young children and the police.

All that changed three generations ago, when an art student's Machop saved his life from an armed burglar in the crime-riddled metropolis of Saffron. The people longed for a hero, and if only he had the strength and speed of a Machop, perhaps he could be one. Of course, humans didn't really have that power, and Machop weren't smart enough to use it effectively, and no man could get to every crime in the city fast enough. When he solved those problems through fiction, the Machop-Man comics were born.

The franchise has occasionally struggled, but has survived multiple canon reboots and inspired many movies. Although Marvel Scale's Ariados-Man has occasionally provided competition, Machopman (as the name is now written) remains a cultural icon, is the best known and most popular of the superpower genre it inspired, and has become surprisingly popular in Orre and Isshu, across the sea from its creator's native land.


	67. Machoke

From the dawn of philosophy, men have struggled to make peace with the usage of Machoke as beasts of burden. Unlike Torchic, Oddish, and other farm pokemon, Machoke are a fighting-type not that different from our own ancestors. Although known for their strength, they are fairly intelligent beasts. And while a Miltank can graze for most of its life, enduring nothing worse than a milking before slaughter, Machoke work long hours breaking boulders in caves, pulling tractors, or other strenuous tasks, often with a Bulbasaur as overseer vine whipping them when they slow down.

Pokemon rights activists have battled the poor treatment of Machoke for centuries, but to little success. Unlike many pokemon (and humans) which need breaks to ensure productivity, Machoke will work at full effectiveness until they collapse from exhaustion, and typically return to the field a revive or pokemon center trip later. Furthermore, while the pain and monotony of their work does have an impact on them, Machoke are loyal pokemon who would sooner endure abuse with a grim countenance than break the chains which symbolically bind them: symbolically, as humans have yet to invent chains strong enough to hold a Machoke.

Occasionally, a Machoke does escape, but they rarely do anything to help their cause. Typically (at least in Kanto) these Machoke find their way to Team Rocket or other criminal organizations, who offer them a better trainer and the chance to test their muscles in combat, as virtually all fighting pokemon desire.


	68. Machamp

To the majority of Machamp, dodging or blocking an attack is the height of cowardice. All Machamp are champions, if only in their own heads, and a champion will endure whatever attacks are thrown at it, to the point of running into an attack if it appears likely to miss. These Machamp expect the same honor from their opponents, and have developed normally wild attacks like Dynamic Punch with pinpoint accuracy, at the expense of possessing any skill in dodging.

Centuries ago, a hated Johto emperor was overthrown, and the revolutionaries put him and his pokemon to a Pinsir's guilliotine. They fled in every direction; the emperor was caught and executed, but some of his smaller pokemon escaped into the crowd. His Machamp would do no such thing. Faced with a hopeless struggle, he punched the Pinsir in the face before his execution, so he could say he went down fighting, then stood unflinching as the Pinsir's giant, spiked horns ripped his head from his body.

There is a minority of Machamp which do not believe evasive measures are cowardly and will dodge any attack they can. Surprisingly, these Machamp are not weaklings attempting to win at any cost, but equally ferocious fighters who follow a different code of battle. They are known far and wide for their guts.


	69. Bellsprout

It is unusual for a 100-foot tall Bellsprout, known best for eating Butterfree and Heracross whole, to become a symbol of peace and starve itself to death. It is equally unusual for a great conqueror to follow his example, withdraw his armies from conquered lands, and build an enormous tower to symbolize the hope for peace in the world. Violet City has been a very unusual place at some times in its history.

The Bellsprout was a civic fixture, much in the way a skyscraper or a particularly storied tree might be today. It had lived for a hundred years, growing taller and taller; this rare phenomenon was suspected to be because of everstone residue in the soil. It had defended the city from an Alph-led alliance on one occasion, and the general who led it and the other pokemon in its defense soon made himself king. As ruler, he gave the rival city of Alph a brutal sack from which it never recovered, and carved out an empire from Ecruteak to New Bark.

He was also a man who could communicate with pokemon. He noticed after returning from one campaign that the Bellsprout had stopped eating, and asked him why. They discussed philosophy, faith, and pacifism for hours, but the Bellsprout would not be swayed into killing to eat again. Later that night, the Bellsprout died. Both convinced and broken by the pokemon's conviction, the king withdrew from his empire, declared the Bellsprout a god, and erected Sprout Tower in its honor.

To this day, pacifist monks train and meditate there, often scrawny from a diet which does not allow them to eat pokemon. Each one of them remembers this tale and pays reverence to the Bellsprout's spirit in many ways, among them by training Bellsprout of their own.


	70. Weepinbell

Weepinbell acid is a remarkably corrosive substance, which dissolves many materials with such speed and effectiveness that it is used throughout the pokemon world as an alternative to dynamite. Developed as a means of killing and digesting prey such as Rattata or Caterpie, it is capable of dissolving even Onix and other rocks. Weepinbell leak acid from their eyes frequently, in a process which has evolved like a Growlithe puppy's eyes to elicit sympathy from humans, and this acid frequently seeps deep into the earth's crust.

This acid has thankfully not been effectively weaponized, for no container has been found which can both hold the acid and not cause it to lose potency, save for the Weepinbell themselves. And Weepinbell are not an especially powerful pokemon; they can only throw their acid a short distance, are easily knocked out, and humans and larger pokemon require the continuous application of this acid to be killed in the first place.

This is not to say that living creatures are immune. Although Weepinbell themselves produce a neutralizing fluid, it is an imperfect one, and they produce less and less as they age. If they are unable to evolve soon enough into Victreebel, a Weepinbell will die from its own acid, being dissolved from the inside out.


	71. Victreebel

It is commonly believed that deep in the jungles of Sevii and Orange, colonies of wild Victreebel can be found. In truth, the Victreebel are not wild, but domestic, farmed by indigenous people for their edible leaves and acid with which to tip their arrows. They guard their secret with great ferocity, killing most who encounter it, and it has only leaked to the outside world with the development of satellite photography. This leak created astonishment in the scientific community, as Victreebel were long considered a textbook example of a pokemon too large, ill-tempered, and economically worthless to domesticate.

This astonishment speaks far more to the prejudices of Man than it does any particular trait of Victreebel. Bellsprout have been regarded by most cultures as a weed: they are an ugly plant, seldom beloved, producers of little of value, and tend to invade areas where more valuable plants such as Oddish are grown. The monks of Sprout Tower honor them, but even they do not love Weepinbell, whose acid has made them feared where not hated almost everywhere. And Victreebel could be no more beloved than its predecessors.

It is not Victreebel who were too ill-tempered to domesticate, it is we who were too ill-tempered to domesticate them. Only when pushed back against the harshness of a pokemon jungle, when losing the military edge which once let them raid nearby settlements and pushed up against starvation, did a people finally learn to tap their potential.


	72. Tentacool

"I awoke one morning to find myself stranded on a small ship in the middle of an ocean with a thousand red eyes." Thus begins one of the pokemon world's most famous works of literature, the Saga of the Great Pod. Put together a century ago by a great nihilist whose name was known only to his publisher, it is based on legends which were based on history of the time of Kyogre and Groudon's great war to control the world.

The protagonist, a man named Orange who is a fierce partisan of Groudon's cause, spends the first half of the saga trapped in the midst of a Tentacool pod which drifts slowly towards shore. Carrier Pidgey send letters to him, and are always allowed to drop them off before being eaten by members of the pod: he is not allowed to warn the people of the impending attack. A great deal of attention is paid to his own mental state: he is harassed by day by fear, worry, and guilt, and at night by horrific, otherworldly nightmares sent to him by Kyogre. The story is as much an exploration of man's unraveling in the face of a waking nightmare as of any actual war.

In the second half, the Tentacool pod sacks his hometown, but he escapes into friendly lines. It follows him through the war for some time, writing scenes more for action than for psychological exploration, fighting armies of water pokemon, often the same Tentacool who tormented him. It ends with him being left to die by an incompetent commander whose ruthless strategy utterly fails, and his country is washed away by the sea while the war continues without him.


	73. Tentacruel

Kyogre is the god of the sea, a fearsome beast embodied in waves which devastate cities whenever it awakes. It lies dead but dreaming beneath the waters of Sootopolis, and will rise again when the stars are right. Gyarados are fearsome in appearance, and indeed in battle, but they live in the deep oceans and seldom venture towards the surface, although when they do it of course is terrifying. But it is Tentacruel, not Kyogre or Gyarados or even Poliwrath, which sailors fear the most.

Part of this is a simple matter of biology: a Gyarados must pierce a ship to sink it, but a Tentacruel can simply use its eighty tentacles to drown an entire ship's crew. Their venom eats through wooden ships with astonishing speed, and their small center and quick movements make them a difficult target to hit. Rare is the ship which survives an attack from a mature one even today, and in the old days it was even rarer.

But most of it is that they **will** do it: Poliwrath are rarely dangerous outside of human hands, but Tentacruel nurse an ancient grudge from their "defeat" in the war of land and sea (in reality it was a stalemate, even a slight victory, but wars can easily be mythologized) and view every sailor as an invading force on a victory lap. And there is also the fact that, of all the water pokemon, it is only Tentacruel and those owned by Team Aqua who think the war should not have ended, and wish to start a round two. Most of those in the sea correctly realize that man has sided with Groudon, and that man rules the world now, but every now and then, giant Tentacruel sack a coastal village and the sea weeps for fear of retaliation.

* * *

I have written two entries for this pokemon. Below is the original, which was fairly unpopular, because it dealt with Tentacruel bestiality.

The standard anti-bestiality laws contain an exception for women (but not men) who have sex with Tentacruel. Most people believe the laws were put there due to concerns about rape: Tentacruel are a large pokemon who often have their way with women, including oftentimes their female trainers. However, Tentacruel are not the only pokemon to engage in this behavior – Houndoom and Mightyena do it commonly, and most large pokemon with proper appendages can be taught to do so by a sufficiently sadistic trainer, and will continue even after being freed.

This is a common misconception. Language elsewhere in the statute makes it clear that only willing intercourse with pokemon is forbidden, so as not to punish the innocent. The roots of this exemption lie far deeper in our culture, from religious rituals in ancient times when virgins (or at least their virginity) were offered as sacrifices when the rare giant Tentacruel menaced our cities, to ages where Tentacruel sex became an almost accepted (if never discussed) way to meet women's needs without risking pregnancy in a polygamous society, and was punished far less severely than trysts with other humans. And in modern times, the pornography industry thrives on it; indeed, censorship legislation has had the paradoxical effect of making this easier to produce then human-on-human porn.

Modern, "enlightened" activists wish to ban this, either on decency or animal rights grounds, but they have made no progress. Like incest between cousins, Tentacruel sex is one of those things many may find disgusting, but has roots far too deep to ever truly go away.


	74. Geodude

Although the geological processes which cause Geodude to form are still poorly understood, they universally create a hollow, spherical geode at the pokemon's core, often filled with some gemstone or precious metal. These geodes, after their discovery a couple centuries ago, have become a target of young treasure hunters, drawn by the dream of rare gold, emerald, or platinum geodes which would leave them set for life.

Typically, they bring a fighting-type pokemon such as Machop to a nearby cave; some stronger, less pokemon-adept ones simply carry larger rocks themselves to smash the Geodude open. The individual fights are not especially difficult, but the quantities produced by individual Geodude are small, It is neither a lifelong career or the get-rich-quick scheme the hunters desire; typically they work for a few months before they give up, retire in satisfaction, or end their lives out of guilt from too many Geodude screams.

These hunts are the leading cause of death among Geodude, and pokemon rights activists would complain, were it not for the alternative. The rate of Geodude formation has actually increased in this era, and many caves are all but dominated by the rock pokemon. These hunts, for all their brutality, play a necessary role in population control which water, ice, ground, and grass pokemon are either poorly located or unwilling to provide.


	75. Graveler

During earthquakes and landslides, rolling Graveler are among the most dangerous hazards for people living on mountains. Dislodged from their position, the rock pokemon will roll downhill at dangerously high speeds, picking up smaller rocks and items on the way – larger ones will even absorb people, smashing them over and over in an uncontrolled, fatal roll until they hit an obstacle or break free. Indeed, Graveler's unusual texture is the result of these downhill rolls, as smaller rocks become part of them each time while weakening

It was witnessing one of these tragic events as a child which led an obscure game developer to create the smash hit Graveler Damashii, in which one plays as a Graveler and attempts to roll up as many items as possible, so that the Deoxys King can turn them into stars.

This is not the only appearance of the pokemon Graveler in video games, although perhaps it is the most popular one. The attempts of people to escape from rolling Graveler has led to a common level in platform games where a large Graveler rolls downhill and the player must dodge obstacles while keeping their speed up to escape.


	76. Golem

It is a little-known fact that, like Porygon and Mewtwo, Golem is an artificial pokemon. The weak, especially the weak and unusual, have always needed protection from the strong, and for a religious community on Mt. Coronet which prayed to a Probopass god, the danger was all too real. Their god, who they had absolute faith in, had failed to protect them, but they would not renounce him even at the cost of their lives.

If only they could command stronger pokemon. They defended themselves with what was available in the area, but their imaginations were gripped by the story of the Regis, three ancient and powerful machines created by another priesthood, in another time – artificial pokemon which themselves were eventually worshiped as gods. Their secret was lost, but perhaps if something similar could be done with Graveler, they could find a way to fight back.

And something could be done. Through the usage of large machines traditionally used for trading pokemon and a great deal of experimentation, a method was found to turn Graveler's uneven rocks into an immensely durable series of interlocking, hexagonal stones, and its body shape became one which could fit into a cannon. Two arms were lost, but the other two gained in strength. The new pokemon was named Golem, after the phrase "legendary golems", an old term for the Regis.

The community which invented the Golem wiped themselves out in a mass suicide after a desperate last stand. Their secrets were spread far and wide throughout the occupying empire, and from there through espionage and captured machines throughout the pokemon world. In these times, the ability to evolve Graveler into Golem is a standard feature for trading machines, and its roots have been all but forgotten.


	77. Ponyta

Ponyta are a pokemon once found in open plains and wild grasslands, but which declined in the wild (at least in Kanto) as those lands were vanquished in the march of civilization. They were eventually, after generations of decline, hunted to extinction as a means of denying nomadic raiders their mounts. They are, however, a commonly domesticated pokemon, much like Growlithe, Miltank, or Pikachu, and a feral population of Ponyta survives in the strange habitat of the pokemon mansion.

Traditionally herbivorous, it was once thought that they survived on various forms of plant life growing on the walls and windows, but this is insufficient to support the population within the mansion. Currently, they are believed to be a carnivorous breed which subsist on Rattata, which they trample to death with their diamond hooves and cook with their own flames.

Furthermore, these Ponyta, as their dispersal throughout the mansion demonstrates, are capable of charging through doors and climbing stairs, and they do not appear to possess the instinct of fear. Many have opined that it is lucky for all of us that the scientists of the pokemon mansion disappeared chasing Mew; had they stuck with Ponyta, the world would by now be faced with a cavalry in Team Rocket's hands which could run through any barricade and climb any fort. If the experimentation had been allowed to continue, the world would now be faced with a breed far more terrifying than even the barbarian Ponyta of old.


	78. Rapidash

It is commonly believed that wherever a Rapidash runs, the land itself will soon burst into flame. The grasses of the Eurasian steppe used to burst into flames all along the border with civilization whenever a khan's Ponyta evolved, which the various tribes would use as a signal to launch a great raid, or even an invasion. In more forested regions, they caused wildfires – in civilized areas, well, they aren't only banned from most civilized areas because of their association with either the barbarian hordes or the old aristocracy. Far too many have starved before they were, when harvests were burnt because rogue Rapidash ran across farmland.

It is lucky for all of us that Rapidash are proud beasts, tamed only by the most skillful horsemen. Those they judge unworthy they burn to a crisp when the hapless would-be rider attempts to mount them. It is luckier still that Rapidash can be easily stopped by earthquakes or hydro pumps, provided there is time to set up a defense before they run past; few pokemon can attack at sufficient speed to hit an escaping Rapidash.

In pokemon eschatology, it is said that War, Famine, Death, and Plague all ride Rapidash, Of these four, only plague seems inapt; Rapidash learn no poison-type attacks more powerful than poison jab, and many theologians have opined that it'd make more sense to make it ride a Muk. Some have stated that Death should ride a ghost type, and some say he does: not a ghost pokemon, but a black and ghostly wraith of a Rapidash. As for War and Famine, no mount could possibly be more suitable.


	79. Slowpoke

It is a commonly-held belief that Slowpoke have reflexes so dull that one could saw off their tails (a prized delicacy) before they even notice. This is an exaggeration: such a pokemon would surely be extinct in the wild (if even more beloved by Trick Room trainers than they already are) while real Slowpoke are quite numerous in the Seafoam Islands, the "Slowpoke Well" of Azalea Town, and even occasionally in Sinnoh in the area south and east of Eterna Forest. Furthermore, despite the name, they are not the slowest of pokemon: that title goes to Munchlax and Shuckle.

This is not, however, to say that Slowpoke are quick by any means. They are a pokemon which take five seconds to feel pain, a pokemon whose sluggish movements have cost them many a battle – for had they decent speed, their tough defenses would make them a formidable foe. But this lack of speed is not solely a weakness. In fact, it has developed to allow them to evolve, for what pokemon would willingly allow a Shellder to clamp onto its own head or tail long enough for evolution to take place? By delaying the pain until after it is too late to shake the pokemon off, Slowpoke manage to endure a painful evolution process and become the powerful (if not much faster) Slowbro.

Trainers have often remarked (and nurses have often reprimanded them) on the courage of their Slowpoke in battle. In reality, of course, they will battle beyond their limits because they are too slow to realize they have been knocked out, and can often be seriously injured. Slowpoke trainers should be advised to pay close attention to their pokemon's health, because the Slowpoke themselves are too slow to notice.


	80. Slowbro

If a Slowbro places a water stone on its tail, the Shellder clamped onto it will evolve. The Slowbro altered by this evolution move awkwardly, unable to drag their heavy tails behind them for balance, because Cloyster are too round and bumpy to balance much of anything. In battle, these Cloyster-bitten tails can be used as a thick club to whack enemies with, or thrown as boomerangs. However, the Slowbro must be careful, for if the Cloyster does not return properly the Slowbro will devolve back into Slowpoke.

This is one of the few ways in which a pokemon can devolve. It is said that the legendary Mew was capable of returning pokemon to earlier states, and that experimentation by Team Rocket (often on Slowbro themselves) yielded promising results in the field of Eevee study before the laboratories were shut down. Apart from these strange anomalies, it is only witnessed when a Slowbro misses its Cloyster with its tail, shrinks in size and falls back to all four feet. They mourn with renewed vigor and, distrusting their own tails, attach worms to their heads, dunk under the water and wait for a Shellder to swim by and attach itself.

Those few which succeed are renowned among Slowpoke and Slowbro for their power and experience, and the Shellder on their head actually quicken their reflexes and balance their upper bodies until they can stand again. They are called Slowking and are known far and wide for their wisdom and psychic powers.


	81. Magnemite

The most difficult problem in electrical engineering is the same one which has plagued mankind since the inventors of the lightbulb started their famous experiments: "How do we keep the Magnemite away?" Historically a rare pokemon occasionally found feeding in thunderstorms or preying on other electric-types such as Pikachu, the electronic revolution has seen the population of this magnetic pest of a pokemon explode.

Many solutions have been tried to protect manmade electricity from Magnemite; some bury the wires or add a layer of dirt to the insulation, others use controlled burns or even other magnets to drive them away. Some have attempted to set up habitats such as the Kanto Power Plant to lure them away, but this has merely caused their numbers to grow. None of these techniques are completely successful, and research has continued into finding methods to secure wires from this pokemon whose appetite alone costs Kanto billions of pyen a year in economic damage.

For now, they are most typically warded off by other pokemon, typically fire-types such as Growlithe, as they are prone to levitating on anti-gravity before feeding. Others simply rely on local electric pokemon (at times even other Magnemite) to act as generators, eschewing wires and circuits entirely: this does not ensure the Magnemite will keep away, but it does ensure that if any approach, they will be located quickly and can be battled or captured. This is a stopgap measure, not a solution; annoying as they are, Magnemite power outages remain a fact of life for the people of the pokemon world.


	82. Magneton

For a long time, paleontologists suspected that Magnemite and Magneton – steel-type pokemon with no organic component whatsoever, which feed on electricity – could not possibly have evolved naturally. And likewise, theologians held them out as proof of Arceus' divine hand in the creation of the universe, a pokemon which the theory of evolution could not explain. In truth, neither of them had the answer, for the truth lay beyond the stars.

Observers have long noted that large groups of Magneton appear during periods of intense sunspots activity, and that they emitted powerful microwave radiation. Recent discoveries have shown it to be of such similar frequency to the remnants of the big bang that the fact that this radiation **was** uniform throughout the universe (save where Magneton are located) was only discovered a couple decades ago in this world. It has taken some time, however, to notice these realities and assemble them into a coherent theory on the origins of this pokemon, a task which still has not been completed.

Current conjecture holds that Magneton, whatever they are, are more like small celestial bodies than other pokemon. They are created out of heavy metals drawn together by gravity, yet made distinct from one another by magnetism and electrified by fusion. Typically, they settle at the cores of planets or stars and lose their distinct form, but occasionally they are ejected from stars and fall to our planet, or land here after drifting aimlessly through the universe in hibernation for eons.

Magnemite, for their part, are theorized to be the result of Magneton breaking up in the atmosphere, while Magnezone occur when gravity outweighs magnetism and crushes the three Magneton portions together.


	83. Farfetch'd

It would seem odd that a pokemon known primarily for spinning leeks and tasting delicious would be the source of the term "Far fetched" (or "Farfetch'd" as many grammar purists insist), but given the stories which have sprung up around it, it is not as bizarre as it appears.

Some of them are fairly sensible and plausible, if always heard from a friend of a friend and never quite true. The restaurant which secretly domesticated the notoriously untameable Farfetch'd is in reality serving Psyduck meat, the magic leek which doubles their attack power is real, although their defenses and speed remain so poor that a trainer would be lucky to make the pokemon league with them, let alone win it like they said.

And then there are the stories which are more out there. The president of Isshu has had to deny rumors that his father was a Farfetch'd spread by his political opponents, and it speaks to the absurdity of politics in that region that the rumors even started. Likewise, the girl in the popular "leek spin" internet meme is not secretly a slave of a Farfetch'd colony in the Sevii Islands, and the idea that global warming is really caused by a pokemon which is neither fire nor ice type is too silly to even bother refuting.

Despite the obvious ridiculousness of these ideas, Farfetch'd continue to be a magnet for strange tales. I urge any readers of this pokedex not to spread these ridiculous rumors, and to be careful to source any information about Farfetch'd they discover before believing it or passing it on.


	84. Doduo

In the days before Team Rocket, Celadon City had been conquered by a force led by the "Fighting Dojo" of Saffron City Gym. The Ponyta had been rounded up, seized from their stables and briefly conscripted into the army, although their tendency to burn their riders led to their dismissal and/or execution. The air was patrolled by Charizard, the ground by Dugtrio, atrocities were rampant and it seemed that there was no way to communicate them to the outside world. They would have been right, if it had not been for for one young journalist hero and her Doduo.

With more heroism than caution, or perhaps more courage than brains, she had hopped onto her pokemon and made her way to the west end of the city, dodging roadblocks and soldiers along the way. The city walls were difficult for fliers (who would be shot down by cannon or Charizard flame) and land pokemon (who could not scale them) but her Doduo cleared them in a single bound, yet stayed under or around the projectile attacks. She had made it to cycling road, but she had not yet gained freedom: the horde chasing her grew ever larger by the minute, for Saffron had many allies among the biker gangs. Her Doduo stayed one step ahead of them, avoiding attack after attack and outrunning them with amazing speed until she made it to the safety of Fuchsia City.

Her pictures and reports outraged the people of the pokemon world, and a vast coalition of armies soon freed her city from the clutches of Saffron. When interviewed about her efforts, she would only say that Doduo were good at obstacle courses, and amazing at running away.


	85. Dodrio

Unlike Empoleon and Magmar, Dodrio are not actually flightless birds. Nor is their apparent flight (as some have imagined) accomplished by jumping up into the air so high that they reach the heights of their more typical avian ancestors. Within their ball-like bodies, Dodrio possess retractable, nearly invisible wings which are small in proportion to their bodies, but nonetheless can carry them over short distances.

Few have seen these wings over the years, and fewer have lived to tell about them, but as for those who did, legends abound. Ancient Dodrio, they say, had large orange wings as long as their necks which they used for balance, which were forced into hiding by Ho-oh or Lugia or Arceus as punishment for trying to outrace the legendary dogs, or giving song to man. The legends are murky, of course, varying from culture to culture, but a surprisingly high number have agreed that Dodrio in ancient times had wings which were lost as a form of divine punishment.

In reality the wings were not lost. The Dodrio in the original legend did not have his wings stripped. He got word of the gods' wrath from a Metapod, and was inspired by its cocoon to hide its wings as well. Its descendants to this day are reluctant to use wing-based attacks or even reveal their wings, but can be taught with training. Whatever legendary that Dodrio once offended has long since forgotten its grudge; all that remains is an immense sense of guilt and shame which has entered the ancestral memory of the Dodrio, along with small, retractable wings.


	86. Seel

Of the extant pokemon native to the poles, only Seel is not considered to be of the ice type. In eras when currents, volcanism, and the planet's orbit made temperatures at the poles less extreme, others like the water-type Piplup were found there; they have since faced extinction (at least in the wild) and Seel is the lone holdout. The secret of its typing lies in its thick, extremely warm coat of fur, which forces it to maintain a body temperature warmer than even its ice-type evolution of Dewgong, too warm to be ice. Indeed, it is said that their fur is so warm that they seek out the coldest parts of the arctic to cool off, for it is not already cold enough in the rest of the ocean.

Sadly, this fur has also led to Seel's decline. Indigenous arctic peoples have always hunted the Seel for their fur coats, and indeed some say it was their fur which allowed humans to expand to the far reaches of the north to begin with. As empires from the south subjugated the northern lands, people heard tales of a fur which could keep them comfortable through the winter, and to this aim they hunted Seel to the edge of extinction.

Thankfully, the Seel are nothing if not resilient. The ships which brought their pelts to Japan also saw some live Seel stowed away; today they live in the frozen caves spread throughout the country. Others sharpened their horns into drills which can not only pierce sea ice but kill a grown man in a single shot. And with the rise of indoor heating, Seel coats are no longer the commodity they once were: with any luck, this pokemon will make a comeback.


	87. Dewgong

In the frozen reaches of the arctic ocean, where ships dare not venture for fear of icebergs, Dewgong are used as mounts. It is from the backs of Dewgong that fisherman seek valuable Shellder and baby Lapras, it is teams of Dewgong which pulled the sleds of the arctic explorers who sought the north pole; in traditional arctic warfare, they were even used as cavalry in place of Rapidash.

Despite this vast utility, Dewgong were never a very common pokemon. Even before the Seel fur boom, Dewgong fell frequently in battle and typically required years of harsh training to be replaced: few Seel ever became Dewgong. Their rarity was exacerbated by the lack of effective pokemon centers in the arctic. With the decline in Seel populations due to overhunting, wars broke out over Seel breeding grounds, often killing and losing more Dewgong in battle than they would eventually gain, even when they fought other natives (and not soldiers from well-armed empires).

Today, as a result of the species' endangerment, access to arctic Seel is tightly constrained by law. Each tribe is assigned a set quota of Seel which does not come close to allowing every trainer to have their own, and frequently they are not (as legally required) distributed by drawing lots, but monopolized by the chiefs and their friends and family. This has troubling implications for arctic society, and it is feared it will lead to the formation of a hereditary aristocracy; then as now, those with Dewgong are on top, but now only a few can train Seel to begin with.


	88. Grimer

The usage of Grimer to poison water supplies is an old standby of biological warfare. As a highly toxic pokemon whose liquid body can easily mix with water, a small group swimming around a reservoir or river can force a choice between death from poison or thirst. Because of this danger, sources of water have been well-protected even since antiquity, and deaths by Grimer poison in the old days did not occur in proportion to the fear which these pokemon caused.

And then came the industrial revolution. With the growth of cities and factories came massive pollution, and the city of Celadon soon discovered Grimer in their ponds and rivers in peacetime. At first, suspicion fell upon the reservoir guards and they were executed, for the people of the city were dying in droves. The government went into deep debt to import clean water from afar, for the city's vast population made it difficult to meet its drinking needs. The new guards could do nothing to stem the flow of Grimer, and it soon became clear that the executed guards had been innocent.

Inspections revealed no pathways between the water supply and the sewage system which normally held these poison pokemon. Weeks later it was found that industrial waste from the factories had been leaking into the reservoir, and that this waste was combining with air pollution to form live Grimer right there in the water. A massive cleanup effort was begun, but soon abandoned, for the people of Celadon were unwilling to make the sacrifices to avoid pollution, finding it cheaper to simply import water from abroad and raise taxes accordingly. Today, Celadon is still one of very few places in Kanto (and the only city) where wild Grimer can be found on the surface.


	89. Muk

There are many pokemon known for giving affection to their trainers and to other pokemon. Jumpfluff are known for their use of sweet scent and attract, while Gardevoir need no attacks to attract more affection than they often can handle. And yet of all the pokemon in the world, the most affectionate of them all is not made of fluff or skin, but of sludge, for the most affectionate pokemon is Muk.

It is to their utmost discontent that a Muk trying to get a hug is like a Jigglypuff fancying itself a pop music idol. Their bodies are greasy to the touch, prone to sucking in hands, and prolonged exposure can result in illness; and perhaps worse, if a Muk will endure this, they still have no arms with which to hug their trainers back. It is far more common for them to use Frustration than Return in combat.

This is also a source of sorrow for trainers, for if a trainer endures their Muk's affections or even enjoys them, they will find themselves in possession of an extraordinarily powerful pokemon. Most Muk are fairly unremarkable in battle, but this is because their true potential lies unutilized; Muk, like magical girls and Birdramon, are fueled by the power of love.


	90. Shellder

Shellder are a pokemon which seldom move, carry their homes with them, and their round, black bodies are easily mistaken for a life lived in literal darkness. This has made them the perfect metaphor for the pokemon world's hikikomori community, and indeed among these shut-ins and the message boards they frequent, the name "human shellder" has become a common term of reference.

Furthermore, Shellder are a pokemon which require little care. Provided they have an ample supply of food and a water tank to remain in, they are easier to care for and longer-lived than most fish, and indeed than most grass pokemon as well. They are, however, extremely unresponsive to human contact, and paradoxically will only truly bond with the most asocial of trainers.

When a hikikomori (or indeed anyone who has truly bonded with their Shellder) dies in their home – of suicide or drug overdose or wasting away or even old age – the Shellder will die as well. Some say it is the Shellder's death which kills the trainer and not the other way around, although this is not commonly believed; it is difficult to determine, as hermits and Shellder have similar lifespans. When this happens, the Shellder's spirit will float out of its body and turn into a Gastly. Once transformed, it will protect the peace of its trainer's soul by scaring away all intruders until it is captured or the room exorcised.


	91. Cloyster

The name of the seaside village varies from telling to telling, as does that of the hero, and the identity of the dragon pokemon involved. In Kanto, it is a Dragonite, in Hoenn, a Salamence, in Sinnoh, a Garchomp; the story is unknown in Johto, perhaps because there was no dragon which it could be transposed to.

In all variants of the tale, the dragon is portrayed as a horrible tyrant. The people of the village are too frightened to lift a finger, and a young trainer with only a Cloyster which can not beat even the village children in a pokemon battle is the only one with the courage to fight back. He takes a ship to the dragon's lair, or surfs across on the back of his pokemon, and deep in the local cave he confronts the dragon. In some variants, he holds a spear of ice given to him by his Cloyster, in others, he orders the Cloyster to use the attack "Icicle Spear". In reality, he fought alongside his pokemon, hurling spears into the dragon's eyes and slaying it in a sextuple shot.

In the villages once terrorized (for there are many which claim to be the source of the legend), celebrations still take place on the day of the dragon's death, centered around a ceremonial "slaying" of the dragon by a Cloyster. In reality, it is a knocking out, although in the old days the dragon's wild descendants were captured and slain for the festival. Interestingly, with the increasing dominance of dragon types, a few trainers from these villages have brought the ceremony to the Pokemon League, against dragons not instructed to throw the match: they have typically succeeded with Cloyster, but been let down by its teammates.


	92. Gastly

There are many ways in which Gastly can be formed. Forming from the black cores of Shellder and Cloyster is the most common method, but most pokemon can become a ghost when their spirit is bonded too closely with the world of the living, and there are those among students of the magical arts who achieve immortality by turning into pokemon.

These students are commonly called magicians, but this is a broad description. Of the eight disciplines of magic, it is only the most skillful of illusionists who can turn into Gastly; even necromancers are unable. This is because Gastly itself are pokemon which specialize in this magic; their true bodies are invisible without the usage of special equipment or pokemon attacks. In the wild, they frequently play pranks with the usage of magical light, and many low-level stage magicians use Gastly (covertly) in their act.

The best magic shows in the world are delivered at the top of the Tower in Lavender Town. They are performed by the best illusionists who have died in the previous year alongside the greats of ages past. The audience is made up primarily of the dead, but a man or god by the name of Fuji is in attendance every year, and many devoted fans have snuck in over the years; some of them have even snuck out without being taken "back" to the afterlife with the rest of the audience.

As for the show itself, many been asked to describe it, but few have even spoke coherently when making the attempt, and their accounts only agree in that it was the greatest thing they had ever experienced.


	93. Haunter

It is said that an individual – human or pokemon - licked by a Haunter will spend variable period of time shaking while displaying bizarre changes in behavior, and then inevitably pass away. This is untrue, for a Haunter's tongue causes instant death. The misconception arises because it is only the mind which passes on. The body of the deceased remains animated, but it is the Haunter which controls it, and it shakes because no Haunter can perfectly control a body which is not its own.

A Haunter's body is not a weak one which is capable of little more than floating aimlessly. Yes, it can phase through walls, but it not only can turn invisible, it must also strain to remain visible. Movement is difficult to control, light painful, and they remember all too well their previous lives and strain for an escape. Some possess those who they had developed grudges against in life, and strive to ruin their reputation before death: others possess those they envied, hoping to live their lives even at the cost of killing those they looked up to. Many, however, possess random strangers, and most possess no one at all.

Few Haunter will stay in their new bodies for long. They will complete their grudges and turn to pitying those they made suffer in the process of defaming their enemies, or they will find those who they envied did not live lives as great as they imagined. They will grow frustrated with the limited control they have over their victims' bodies and miss the freedom afforded by their status as a ghost. In time they will leave, their victims will die, and the Haunter will either return to their own form with renewed appreciation or allow their spirit to pass on from the world.


	94. Gengar

Gengar are not, in fact, the ghosts of dead Clefable. They are the opposites of living ones, and comparing them to Plusle and Minun would be a far better analogy. The Clefable are a species warped by lunar rocks, never reconciled to their exile, who sneak aboard spaceships after thousands of years, and pray for a way back every night of the full moon. Gengar, on the other hand, love the Earth and evolve through events which free them of their grudges and unfinished business and allow them to move on at last. (A link cable produces a similar effect.) Unlike their gaseous predecessors, they have made peace with the fact of their death and have willed themselves back into solid forms so they can walk the planet once more.

But although they have become solid again, Gengar are not yet living, and they are far too cognizant of this reality. They are vulnerable to the sun, but despise the moon, and spend their days wandering in the shadows, surreptitiously planting trees and using Shadow Ball on polluters. It is not the environment they love, but what it symbolizes: some may do Articuno's bidding in icy mountains, but it is Moltres and Ho-oh which represent their hopes and dreams.

They too will pass on. They are so attached to the world that they can not bear to part from it, and possess an amazing strength of spirit. It is for this reason that the gods of the dead have allowed them to walk the Earth until that eagerly-awaited time comes and they can at last be reborn. Gengar do not seek nirvana, for there is nothing it offers them which is better than life itself.


	95. Onix

Onix are a pokemon of great antiquity, which dominated the land in the Paleozoic age. The grass types which existed at the time could beat Onix in combat, but they had no reason to do so: they were largely stationary pokemon ancestral to creatures like Oddish and Bellsprout which preferred to leech from equally stationary rocks. It was in the Triassic, with the rise of saurian pokemon such as Sceptile, Meganium, and Venusaur, that the Onix went into decline. These fierce pokemon were capable of leeching their nutrients and wrapping them with vines to prevent escape, moved at far greater speeds than them, and often exploited Onix's weakness to so-called "special" attacks such as Solarbeam. Hunting by these pokemon drove the Onix from most of the earth's surface, and they turned to seek shelter in the caves where they are found today.

(Indeed, given that the pokemon are made of rock, it is occasionally even the same Onix. Onix do not live forever, but their bodies do: it is the mind which decays and shuts down until another mind forms. Their great age allows them to be considered "living fossils" in more way than one.)

A recent development, however, threatens to change the balance of the ecosystem. Some Onix have fashioned discarded steel from human settlements into coats of armor which fuses into their very cores. These steel Onix or "Steelix" are considered to be a new evolution of Onix, and (despite their numerous weaknesses) are immune to the electric pokemon which are most often the natural predators of steel. Colonies of this pokemon have thus far only appeared in Sinnoh and Johto caves, but there is ample reason to believe that, as their population grows, they will crawl across the outside ground once again.

* * *

I would like to thank EvilFuzzy9 for giving me the idea for this entry, and to belatedly thank snochaoko, Lyraeon, and Vethica for helping me with earlier ones.


	96. Drowzee

Drowzee are a pokemon alternately feared and beloved for their ability to eat dreams, dreams which Drowzee view in their entirety as part of their strange digestive process. Less well known is their ability to regurgitate these dreams for their trainers, which they do not in the form of vomit, but as television-like clouds on which the events of the dream are displayed. These trainers are typically employed in the creative fields; some are authors, others playwrights or screenwriters or poets or game designers. Most of them are talented in their own right and use dreams only occasionally during periods of writers' block. A dream is a poor story, so the wisdom goes, but a skilled writer can draw elements of one into their own work.

There is, however, a literary movement composed entirely of Drowzee trainers and dreams, which strives to weave coherent and fascinating storylines while maintaining the fantastic logic of dreams. Some of these dreams are stolen, but most come from the trainer themselves, the Drowzee used only to aid in dream recollection. While the dream itself is forgotten through this process, dreams often are anyway; a video is more easily remembered than even the best recalled dream.

Within this movement is a circle of horror writers who first use other pokemon to give them nightmares. These trainers are ostracised by polite society as pokemon abusers, for the act of eating and regurgitating nightmares gives Drowzee a nasty sickness. Their stories are nonetheless extremely popular. Some moral guardians say this is because the readers are as twisted and awful as the writers, but most critics and fans disagree, and retort that the stories are just that good.


	97. Hypno

It is commonly believed that Hypno are a pokemon capable of total mind control, one so complete that the human possessed might as well be a robot or a video game character. This belief is so wide-ranging that murderers have successfully used Hypno possession as a defense and espionage agencies have funded vast amounts of research into the targeted use of Hypno to win wars or assassinate opposition leaders. It is also almost entirely wrong.

The reality of Hypno possession is far more modest. People possessed by Hypno move with a sluggish gait and a hunched-over posture, and their eyes – not the irises, but the entire eyes – glow a light blue similar to that of many psychic pokemon when engaging in the use of their powers. It is only the weak-minded who can be possessed, and even they can not be driven to do things contrary to their own nature, such as harming the people they love.

While Hypno are occasionally used for kidnapping in this manner and other nefarious deeds (for while Hypno can be resisted, there are always those who will blame Hypno possession for things they would have done at the first excuse anyway) the most common usage is far more benign. It is not uncommon for a person to spend one moment staring into a Hypno's pendant, then awaken hours later to find that they had cleaned a park or repaired a house or cooked meals for the homeless. Perhaps Hypno, for all their reputation, are good-hearted after all, or perhaps it is humans who are the good-hearted ones.


	98. Krabby

Unlike their evolved form of Kingler, a Krabby's joints are quite feeble; it is quite common for their large pincers to break off in battle. The pincers grow back quickly (although the Krabby is somewhat limited in their movement ability in the meantime) and many trainers even harvest them for sale.

It is not a Krabby's natural strength but the design of the pincer which gives them their effectiveness, and they work just as well when operated by a human or attached to machinery. Some are used to crush rocks into powders or break open pokemon like Clamperl or Geodude, while others are used to crush the necks of condemned criminals. Although this is often considered overkill, they are even used in the preparation of food, as nutcrackers, can openers, or simply in a role similar to silverware.

One of the first ritual prohibitions seen in the pokemon world was that of using these pincers on Krabby or Kingler meat, which was thought to anger the gods and disrespect the dead. It has made its way into many religions, but not all: the followers of Groudon and the Regi trio make a habit of eating Krabby whole as a show of contempt towards the sea.


	99. Kingler

The small land area of Route 19 to the north of the sea has not always been a dependency of Fuchsia City. In the Sengoku era it was home to a tall castle constructed and dominated by a colony of Kingler. Architecturally it was a series of interlocking step pyramids surrounding the valley below; a poor use of space, to be sure, but the Kingler's weak reach, and lack of climbing equipment offered them no better options.

The strange territory's roots are shrouded in mystery: some ascribe it to an eccentric trainer of the era who did live in the area and have a strong bond with his Kingler, but evidence of him ever owning a castle is scant and he is believed to have had pokemon like Machoke in his lineup. Others claim it was established as a forward base by Articuno and the pokemon of Seafoam Island, and there is evidence of temporary alliances and trade between Seafoam and the castle. This scenario, however, does not account for the dominance of Kingler in the territory: Kingler were but one of many pokemon in the area, and seldom an influential one.

The castle stood for centuries, eliminated only when the ninjas of Fuchsia City had gained cannon and gunpowder from their trade networks and ceased their constant clan warfare. When they finally triumphed, they slaughtered with the special fury of humans exerting dominion over nature. They made a desert of the castle's central village: even today, there are neither humans nor pokemon which call that beach home.


	100. Voltorb

It is true that there is a family in Johto which can fashion them out of apricots, that Silph Corporation has made outstanding strides in making wholly synthetic ones, and that across the sea a different, mushroom-like pokemon is used. Nonetheless, throughout human history, the overwhelming majority of Pokeballs have been made out of the corpses of Voltorb.

It is a surprisingly simple conversion, requiring only the removal of most of the pokemon's internal organs, a few alterations in wiring, and the placement of a button to open and close the pokemon's body. Artisans in the old days could go through a hundred a day; modern assembly lines do so even faster.

Initially, the secret of the Pokeball (along with the pokemon themselves) was a closely guarded secret by the rulers of Lavender Town, which governed the Power Plant. Although the reasons why Voltorb corpses treated in this manner can shrink, capture, and domesticate pokemon are still not understood by science, the secret itself could not be guarded for long. Trainers who had previously resorted to elaborate pokemon-taming techniques soon paid enormous sums for Voltorb, which were shipped around the world despite their tendency to explode. Lavender Town, for its part, gained in wealth what it had lost in power.

Today, synthetic pokeballs (often blue or gold instead of red, depending on their effectiveness) appear to be the future of pokemon training, and are increasingly used for trainers who compete in the Pokemon League. The low cost of a Voltorb-made one, however, continues to make it the overwhelming favorite among the average trainer. Large farms of Voltorb can still be found in secluded areas, where they are killed once they reach maturity so they can be turned into Pokeballs.


	101. Electrode

One of the more unusual of Pokelympic games is the sport of Electrode Bowling. It is played by rolling an Electrode down a long alley into an ever-increasing triangular arrangement of metal pins, ranging from one in the first frame to fifty-five in the tenth. Electrode are difficult to grip and have trouble accelerating on a flat surface, and regulation pins are designed to be quite sturdy, so typically they do not arrive at the pins with enough force to knock them over. The players, however, also carry remote-controlled detonators, which when pressed at the right time will either send the pins flying or incinerate them. So long as they are no longer standing, it counts as a point, and the player with the most points at game's end wins.

The Electrode, for its part, is knocked unconscious: the typical Electrode explosion is more akin to a star going nova than a bomb exploding. Nonetheless, ten must be obtained by each player for a single game, which has combined with the expense of maintaining and replacing pins to heavily blunt the game's popularity outside of major urban centers.


	102. Exeggcute

In a way, it is Exeggcute and not Wailord which are the largest of pokemon, for Exeggcute possess a unique ability to separate into their component eggs and spread out over vast distances while still functioning (through telepathy) as a single pokemon.

It was once believed that the reason for these searches was to find food, but Exeggcute possess more than enough food in their shells to last until even the last of them evolve. When trained, they are occasionally used in this manner for eavesdropping and espionage, albeit less for espionage than in the old days; a lone Exeggcute is typically mistaken for an egg, but those with sensitive information have learned to be suspicious of eggs.

Most say what they are seeking are leaf stones. Only a few realize that what they are truly searching for is a way to hatch like real eggs and become something other than Exeggutor. For although Exeggutor is a tolerable or enjoyable form for the heads, all fear that they will instead die to form the body, and none can know until evolution which will be their fate.


	103. Exeggutor

The references so often made in newspapers to Exeggutor as a walking tropical rainforest appear to be nothing more than a case of an overly colorful nickname. To be sure, it is a type of tree found in the tropics, but it is not one of the towering ones which form leafy canopies and trap the clouds which make the forests rain. This nickname, however, is better understood in the context of a group of Exeggutor; its application to an individual is a wholly modern phenomenon.

Exeggutor are a highly mobile and social pokemon, and when they travel they do so in vast packs which wander great distances in search of the mixture of food and sunlight on which they thrive. They seldom stay in a single place for long, and at times their searches take them into temperate climates, although it is rare for them to survive for a prolonged period. (Their children, Exeggcute, are better at thriving in these conditions.)

A strange thing happens when they do find a place to settle. The combination of leaves and fertilizer and a strange gas they exhale which is less deadly but with a stronger greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide soon creates highly localized tropical (if not forested) climate zones, where rare or absent pokemon from the surrounding areas can thrive. It is said that a single colony of Exeggutor created the Safari Zones in Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, all of which continue to draw large crowds to this day.


	104. Cubone

It is often believed that Cubone are the children of female Marowak and that female Marowak do not survive childbirth. This is with few exceptions false; Marowak are usually infertile and most Cubone are the children of Kangaskhan who die in this manner.

It goes without saying that this has a traumatic effect on the newborn pokemon; Kangaskhan are a pokemon with stronger family bonds than even humans, and are poorly equipped to be raised by any others or survive alone. Absent a pouch to grow in, Kangaskhan joeys will take their mothers' skulls to shield their head, another bone from their corpses to protect themselves from predators, and the skulls will fuse with them as the head hardens until it can no longer be removed. The ghost of a dead Kangaskhan mother remains bonded to the skull it had in life, watching over their Cubone children as they grow: if seen by one spiritually attuned it takes the shape of a Marowak.

Tragically, no Cubone can hear it or sense its warmth. They are a species of pokemon who are forever crying inside. Most seek a mother's love in the shadows of the moon and stars or by watching other families from afar. Some become so overwhelmed by desperation and grief that they kill the children of other species of pokemon (or even people) dress themselves in their skins, and present themselves to the horrified mothers as their new children: the mothers are never fooled. Most trainers who possess Cubone blame them for their parent's death and abandon them into the wild. This is perhaps the saddest of all the sorrows surrounding Cubone, because the closest thing to a happy, well-adjusted Cubone is one reared with a trainer's love.


	105. Marowak

One of the more interesting of the held items in the pokemon world is the bone club possessed by Marowak. Although those held by Cubone are initially taken from the tail of their Kangaskhan mothers, they actually grow larger with them as if the ghost of its mother is aging with the child, until the bone reaches its maximum size when the Cubone evolves into Marowak.

As weapons, they are exceptionally powerful objects, but also remarkably heavy. Indeed, it is only Marowak which can lift them, and only each Marowak can only lift their own bone: stronger pokemon such as Machamp who try find it easier to lift a Groudon. They can not be thrown with altitude and will typically strike an opponent in the legs; among flying-types, only the strongest of these pokemon can even hit a Pidgey with them.

They are not, however, only used as weapons. Marowak, bizarrely, find them to be comfortable pillows as well. And in the old days of the pokemon world (and still today, in some rural areas) before many other musical instruments were discovered, it was common to find Marowak playing a special type of drum also made of bone with their clubs. The sound produced is a deep, soulful one, thought to reflect that, for all the strength they display, some part of the Marowak's spirit remains touched by loss and grief, but is loud enough to reflect that they fight through it and live on.


	106. Hitmonlee

Before the development of Goal Roll, a sport known as football (or in Isshu as soccer) was astonishingly popular among human and pokemon athletes alike. The sport differed from Goal Roll primarily by containing a much longer field, a single ball, a ban on the usage of hands even to punch or swat the ball, and only two teams. It was largely replaced, and Goal Roll developed as a variant, when it became so dominated by Hitmonlee that no other species of pokemon could compete, for few fans wanted to watch a bunch of Hitmonlee kick a ball around.

In a way, it is a shame that they didn't. Hitmonlee have amazing footwork, and they kick with such velocity that the balls might as well have been thrown by a Machamp. Their stamina and long legs would make them superior and exciting athletes in the vast majority of sports, were it not for their tiny, nearly useless hands.

Today, apart from the martial arts events, Hitmonlee maintain a presence in Goal Roll, albeit a less dominant one. They are counted among the ranks of superstars in the sport, often extending their legs not to kick, but to gain height for headers. Were the nets higher, they would be even more effective. Given the short nets and the tendency of players to keep the ball up, however, it can at times prove difficult for Hitmonlee to shoot low enough that the ball does not fly over the crossbar.


	107. Hitmonchan

It is rare for a pokemon to develop a body which resembles human clothing, and typically when they do, they resemble the clothing of the culture around which they evolved. Hitmonchan's skirt and tunic seem bizarre to most: skirts are women's clothing now, were never worn by boxers, and there are no female Hitmonchan. Put in the proper context, however, it is no odder than a Jynx's robe.

Hitmonchan gained their clothing over two thousand years ago and a vast continent away in the age of Rome. Their ancestors had already become quite humanoid and developed their trademark gloves, but this did not serve them well: their resemblance was not to the "civilized" Romans, but to "barbarians" who wore few clothes and were seen as targets for conquest and enslavement. Many Hitmonchan suffered the same fate as these "barbarians", differing from them only in that they had not formed large armies or used weapons before their capture. Some brave ones fought legions with only a single fist until they were felled in battle.

None of these ancestors have survived. Modern Hitmonchan descend from what was initially a mutation as rare as shiny pokemon. Instead of a bare chest and boxing shorts, some Hitmonchan were born with what seemed to Roman eyes like a cross between a toga and a military uniform, albeit in pink instead of the Roman colors. These Hitmonchan were rewarded for these "efforts" at assimilation (despite being born that way) by becoming among the most popular pokemon among the Roman Senate and a sign of prestige across the empire. When Rome fell, its conquerors adopted many of its ways, among them the training of (now all pink-skirted) Hitmonchan which in time spread as far east as Kanto.


	108. Lickitung

Although Snorlax are the pokemon which is willing to eat the largest variety of foods, Lickitung are not far behind. Furthermore, Lickitung can be trusted to remain awake for a long time, instead of only for battle and a large post-battle meal, and their long tongues allow them to reach into their own stomachs to regurgitate poisoned food. This has made them an indispensable aid to royalty, the yakuza, and anyone else who fears poisoning by their enemies, even those who are simply paranoid.

The difficult part about using Lickitung as poison testers is their enormous appetite. Often, when both the Lickitung and their master are inexperienced, the master is left with but a taste of crumbs while the pokemon eats the whole meal. Some kings have used this as a means of taxing troublesome nobility by requiring them to spend their wealth on vast meals which were mostly fed to their prized pokemon. The typical process is far more careful, however, and consists taking samples of the food, putting it on an edible plate, sending out the Lickitung right in front of it and returning it to its pokeball before it can eat any more.

It should not be considered surprising that many trainers, even in mortal danger, prefer to avoid the hassle and use other unfortunate humans or pokemon instead.


	109. Koffing

Koffing and Grimer, for all their difference in shape, are extremely similar pokemon. Both of them are of the poison-type, both the same shade of grayish purple, but not the poison of assassinations or a protection from predators, but the poison of modern industrial pollution. Some have even theorized that Koffing is merely the gaseous form of Grimer, but this has since been disproven: those few unfortunate Grimer who have faced fatally hot temparatures have merely broken up into their component gases when they melted.

These two pokemon are the source of the two major pollution problems facing urban environmental policy in today's pokemon world, but the problems are not identical. While Grimer are moving poisonous slime, Koffing possess a tough shell in which their toxic gases are stored. Although those who get too close are admittedly in danger, a city can contain a large Koffing population and still have the air regarded as safe to breathe for most of the year – indeed, Koffing shells are so stable that attempts to weaponize the pokemon have failed. The danger is only on hot summer days, when the gases inside a Koffing expand, the pokemon explodes, and vast amounts of toxic gas are released into the atmosphere. During a recent heat wave, Celadon's air was fatal to breathe without protection such as gas masks for a whole month.

At the moment, Koffing are becoming more dangerous by the year. For whatever reason (Moltres, Ho-Oh, Entei, or Groudon's power growing, or perhaps merely a greenhouse effect) the pokemon world is undeniably warming, and more Koffing are exploding in industrial centers every year. They are created faster than they are captured or explode, and it is feared that as planetary temperatures continue to warm, the cities of the pokemon world will become deathtraps.


	110. Weezing

Pokemon battles have never been an especially safe event to watch in person. Although there is protective glass between the fans and the crowd, it is not rare for a missed attack to break through them and injure someone in the crowd. And after a recent tragedy, many have called for Weezing, with their gases, to be banned from League matches to ensure the safety of the fans.

Weezing gas is toxic to pokemon and no less so – perhaps even more – to humans. It is a quick-acting toxin which deals significant damage even on the battlefield, can blind and scar the enemy and has often been compared to various chemical weapons, although it is significantly less harmful than Vileplume gas. The effectiveness of pokemon centers has made this a moot issue for the pokemon exposed to this gas; because of the frequency of battles (or perhaps the natural toughness of those involved) pokemon medicine is even more advanced than the human kind, and indeed many of them recover from far worse injuries on a regular basis.

Humans, however, are not so tough, nor do they have any true equivalent to a pokemon center. According to its detractors, Weezing gas is a substance which eats away and slips through barriers in a way which a flamethrower does not. To fans of Weezing, the pokemon species is being used as a scapegoat for a horrific tragedy, and the real blame lies with poor oversight on the part of the League itself and a faulty shield which would not have blocked any attack.

Regardless of who is to blame, fourteen spectators are dead and over a hundred more are faced with lifelong injuries.


	111. Rhyhorn

When the lords of Sinnoh marched south to Kanto in an ancient attempt at building empire, they brought with them numerous Rhyhorn in their army. Until the age of concrete and steel, there would be built no walls or forts which could withstand a charging Rhyhorn, and few pokemon enjoyed getting in their way either; they were feared as a cavalry deadlier than Rapidash. (Rhydon, their evolved form, are bipeds who can not accomplish a charge.)

For all the fear they caused, Rhyhorn were not without their weaknesses, and a series of tactics employed by a general of that time exploited these flaws and saved Kanto from conquest and ruin. They are poor at turning, worse at stopping, and nothing exceptional in terms of speed, so there was ample time to calculate the trajectory at which one would attack: water guns properly employed often knocked them out before they ever reached their target. Dugtrio were used as well, with pitfall traps engineered to sink under a Rhyhorn's heavy weight; far too often they merely charged out, but it slowed them up just enough. And finally, two grass pokemon would stand on either side of the charging horde and trip them with a Vine Whip, although their short legs meant that the maneuver required considerable skill to execute.

The army of Sinnoh was routed and retreated home in ignominious defeat, demanding only that Kanto not spread their anti-Rhyhorn tactics to neighboring lands. The general kept his word and was given a massive payment in gratitude, which he used to bribe the legislature of the time into appointing him as dictator.

Thus did the Republic of Kanto fall.


	112. Rhydon

Rhydon is a fairly unremarkable species of pokemon, a middle stage beast which generally does not become truly fearsome until it evolves into Rhyperior. Although impressive in appearance, like Onix they lack the fighting ability to back up their terrifying stature and roar. And yet not only have they been the official Indigo League mascot from its founding, but Rhydon are a pokemon so beloved among that organization that they flank their gyms with magnificent statues of them.

The roots of this tradition are older than the Indigo Pokemon League, and some say they are as old as the Indigo Plateau itself. According to legend, the plateau was formed in the aftermath of an earthquake on Mount Silver caused by a rampaging Rhydon, who became the god of the local shrine outside Victory Road. While the veracity of this fanciful story is considered by scholars to be doubtful, Rhydon have long been a symbol of the region, depicted on coins and statues and in other works of art originating from the area; some have been found as far away as the ruins of Alph.

In recent years, as the league has grown, there has been a movement away from the usage of Rhydon as a symbol in favor of a pokeball. Traditionalists and Rhydon trainers have met it with protests, and the brief removal of Rhydon from the official logo was followed with a League tournament full of Rhydon and Rhyperior; the championship team was no exception in this regard. The League backed down, the old logo was reinstated, and a statue the champion's Rhydon delivering its knockout Rock Wrecker to win the final bout was placed outside the League's entrance as a show of respect for this noble pokemon.


	113. Chansey

There are a great many pokemon who possess the capacity to heal themselves. There are very few who can also heal others, and of these only Chansey (and its rare evolved form of Blissey) can do so without sacrificing its own health in the process. Sadly, for such a good-natured pokemon, this has made Chansey for much of their history little more than a target. They were once a common pokemon, but became rare from warfare; generals conscripted them into their armies and when they could not guarantee their capture they killed all they could find to deny them to the enemy.

It was these massacres which provided the impetus for the first pokemon centers, started by idealistic trainers who gathered area Chansey and used them to heal the pokemon of anyone who promised not to use their pokemon to harm others. In time, these became an attraction so enormous they were funded by the state – not for military use, but so people would have an incentive to visit their capitals and be able to hold battles when they got there. And as the centers grew, the already popular sport of pokemon battling exploded in popularity, while an age of (relative) peace spread across the land.

In modern times, others have wished for the powers of Chansey, and often these wishes have come true; some have even turned the art of the wish into a healing science almost as powerful as a Chansey's egg. Modern medicine based on the usage of healing machines has in some ways made Chansey obsolete, but they are expensive to maintain. Indeed, many Chansey still work in the centers, operating the machines or just healing wounds themselves.


	114. Tangela

One of the greatest mysteries of the pokemon world is the question of what, precisely, is at the center of every Tangela. With the naked eye, only blackness and a pair of unnerving, floating white eyes can be seen, staring back as though to tell people not to look closer. Examination of live Tangela is literally impossible, as the vines will block any attempts to view it. Examination of dead Tangela is no more possible, for the body disappears at death, leaving only a pile of vines; this bizarre trait has led many to speculate that Tangela are controlled by a sort of visible soul.

The modern age has brought new ways of viewing and understanding, but for Tangela it has created more questions than answers. Attempts to view them by X-ray have or other techniques have resulted in a series of mechanical errors too common to be reasonably seen as coincidence. Some have theorized that Tangela themselves do not exist, and that they are a myth masquerading as a real pokemon, for many of the errors found with mythical pokemon such as Missingno are also found when attempting to view Tangela. Those who claim to have found the nature of Tangela universally differ on their accounts, and no experiment alleging to show their true nature has ever been successfully reproduced.

Whether they are the spawn of hell wrapped in vines or the cousin of the pokemon on Cinnabar Island's coast, or merely a black ball similar to a Shellder or Gastly, the mystery of Tangela's core will likely remain a subject of speculation for generations to come.


	115. Kangaskhan

Some say that Luxray or Entei are the kings of beasts, and others give that title to Nidoking or Kingler. All these pokemon have some claim to the kingship, but they are not the only ones, for the rare male Kangaskhan are equally renowned as a powerful leader of pokemon.

They are called Kangaskhagan by some, khan of khans, and their harems (owing to the rarity of males of the species) are even larger than those of the Mongolian emperors. They are quarrelsome beasts, willing to take vast hordes of pokemon to "war" (or at least to battle) over a female kangaskhan or even a held item. They are magnamious towards those who surrender or those they defeat easily, but will punch someone into a pancake (human or pokemon alike) if they resist for too long. They are often compared to Tyranitar in their fighting style, the influence they wield among other pokemon, and the sheer strength of their attacks; some poorly-informed trainers have even mistaken Tyranitar for male Kangaskhan, or speculated that a Miltank/Tauros like relationship exists between the species. (In reality, there are female Tyranitar; they just look a great deal like the male ones.)

They are generally considered to be too dangerous to train, for even ghosts fear them, and are often regarded as a symbol of the wilderness. Although there are no credible reports of one being captured per se, there have been numerous reports of a male Kangaskhan in the company of one Erma, head of the Pokemon Ranger Union. It is not her pokemon, but a wild ally which works with her to protect the peace of Almia.


	116. Horsea

In their own hearts, every Horsea is as much a dragon as any Dragonite or Salamence. They recoil from other dragons, unless they think they can scare them away with their own draconic powers (typically a mere Twister) but show none of the fear of lightning or plant life of other water-type pokemon, often injuring themselves with their courage.

It is not that they do not know they lack this typing, but that they will not accept it; ink paintings made by Horsea are often on the subject of their longing to be accepted as the equals of Gible and Dratini. In the wild, they would rather fight as dragons and lose than fight as fish and win, and this is a difficult habit for any trainer to break: it is recommended that trainers only match them against pokemon for whom water and dragon have the same effect.

Some have theorized that Horsea are so troubled by this because they are descendants of Kingdra, and therefore can not bear to lose the prestigious status of their parents, but Bagon (who are dragons) are equally determined to regain flight, despite the fact that birds have never been as admired. It is currently believed that extreme stubbornness and longing to to gain another type are traits shared by all young dragons, and it is simply that Dratini and Trapinch hide them better than others.


	117. Seadra

A Seadra's quills are often described as poisonous, and indeed the substance inside them does have toxic effects when it pierces the skin. What the quills actually contain, however, is ink – the same ink that is sprayed when one uses smokescreen, and the same ink that was once used to write all books, although in these days it is reserved for religious texts and other books intended to be of great importance.

In the days before the printing press and the quill-pressing machine, Seadra were as numerous as Tentacruel. Although occasionally killed for their ink even then, books were a rarity, a luxury for temples and the wealthy, and therefore the amount of Seadra killed in this manner was not especially high. Seadra, after all, possess a multitude of quills, and the length of a book in the old days was based not on the amount of paper available, but on the amount of ink a writer could get out of a single Seadra.

Although the printing press ended the era of quills being used in the traditional manner, as pens and pencils, it also created an enormous demand for ink. Seadra were hunted by the boatload, the survivors hiding themselves in islands or the deep sea or behind whirlpools or even in a certain cave in Blackthorn. They escaped the great hunt better than most pokemon who have faced overhunting, being powerful, majestic, and fairly popular in their own right, but their numbers did not begin to recover until other inks were developed from various berries and grass-type pokemon.


	118. Goldeen

Tastier than Magikarp and less dangerous than virtually all other water pokemon, Goldeen have become a staple of the diet of most seafaring peoples. They have short lifespans and lay many eggs, so they are able to replenish their population, despite being a major food source across many regions of the Pokemon world.

This is not, however, to say that fishing them is a safe or easy task. A Goldeen's horn can break through a fishing net or rod, and some have even sunk fishing boats with well-placed attacks. Although not especially mobile on land, there have been stories of Goldeen, once placed in the boat, jumping overboard: like all water pokemon, they can breathe air as well as water. For this reason, most fishermen bring pokemon such as Bellsprout to kill them before they can escape.

Interestingly, although they normally dine on insects and plants, when ships sink and their crews drown Goldeen are not above scavenging human flesh.


	119. Seaking

The Tohjo Falls are a magnificent site which attract thousands of tourists from Kanto and Johto a year; the sight of water cascading down from above is simply amazing. For a human or most pokemon to go swim over them is suicide (sadly, often quite literally; a few people over the years have given up on life and found it a sufficiently glorious way to die) and for a boat to fall there is a certain shipwreck. And yet as the water falls, if one looks closely they can see numerous Seaking riding it up and down for fun.

The ability of Seaking to navigate waterfalls was once unique to them and Goldeen (who seldom live long enough without evolving to learn how), although there is now a machine which can teach it to a few other water pokemon. When riding falls they do so slowly and safely, but when the move is used in battle, however, they swim at an extraordinarily high speed along a miniature waterfall of their own to ram the opponent. The difference in speed is likely due to the power needed to swim against the falls, which requires a great deal of power which appears to defy gravity.

This technique is not solely used for Seaking to show off. Not only does it allow them to navigate the vast rivers of the pokemon world and spread far and wide, but they are capable of carrying trainers and even (if in sufficient numbers) pulling boats slowly across waterfalls. For their trainers, the Tohjo Falls are not the great barrier which separates Kanto from Johto, but just another watery route.


	120. Staryu

From the moment when astronomers realized what the galaxy was, it was commonly referred to, typically in poetry, as a sea of stars. When put in this regard, the discovery of the other Sea of Stars is a far more interesting occurrence. Not that it is boring to begin with. Somewhere in a remote part of the Antarctic Ocean, there is a sea where the water is the same dark shade as the night sky, where pokemon from space such as Clefable and even Jirachi and Deoxys visit (or live in) when pining for home.

And in this sea are a galaxy of shining Staryu with glowing red, blue, or yellow cores, a horde of pokemon as numerous as the stars. Aircraft and flying-type pokemon which fly over these Staryu often find themselves confused, unsure which way is up and which is down, and crash into the sea where their wrecks are used as homes. And yet, as it is the closest thing to space one can see without becoming an astronaut, many adventurers seek it out anyway.

Indeed, there is little to separate Staryu from the traditional depiction of stars, which resemble this pokemon far more than the real thing. But while the cores of stars slowly explode both in reality and popular culture, those of Staryu instead regenerate, healing the pokemon of even its worst injuries.


	121. Starmie

Although Starmie have ten limbs, it is typically only the top three (and the core) which can be used in combat; the others are for balance and movement. Furthermore, the difficulty of concentration allows attacks from only one at a time. (Typically, a trainer will teach them to shoot water out of the uppermost limb, electricity out of the upper left, and ice out of the upper right, while the core is used for psychic power, although many techniques and combinations are possible.) Despite this limitation, Starmie are so powerful, so overused in Pokemon Leagues that fans are often annoyed to see them.

History, however, tells of a legendary trainer whose Starmie learned to attack not with three limbs at once, but with all ten! The technique was called Decattack. It began by jumping into the air while the core glowed purple and allowed the Starmie to levitate in place. The ten limbs curved forward, giving the impression of an artillery piece, then fired from all of them at once with an attack which used all eight of the so-called "special" or "elemental" types, along with flying (wind) and poison.

If the foe did survive, they would be crippled by burns or paralysis or any of the other deadly effects which Lum Berries heal. Most of his foes carried Lum Berries or Focus Sashes, such was his Starmie's reputation. He won six League Championships in a row, then retired, claiming there were none alive worth battling. Some say he lives in Mount Silver to this day, waiting for a worthy opponent – Red searched for him, but never found a thing.


	122. Mr Mime

Portable, sturdy, and built within seconds, the invisible walls of Mr. Mime are a vital tool in emergencies, although their invisibility makes them hazardous and they require constant concentration to maintain. Whether holding back a river when a dam breaks, holding up the ceiling during a cave-in, or even deflecting meteors, there is little which a sufficiently large group of Mr. Mime can not do.

Apart from their obvious utility among rescue workers and in emergencies, Mr. Mime are also used in the construction industry, for a temporary invisible wall can be quite useful to have until it is slowly made to disappear as a real one is built in its place. And like all pokemon, Mr. Mime do battle, weakening physical attacks with confusing reflections or elemental ones with screens of light to protect themselves and their teammates.

Occasionally, a Mr. Mime which has not been careful in the relative placement of its walls can find itself trapped in an invisible box. This creates an unsettling, claustrophobic feeling in the Mr. Mime, and the box will not be allowed to fade away, but is instantly dissipated with a blast of psychic energy more powerful than any it can produce in combat. Trainers should be advised to take special care to avoid allowing this to occur, for there is no defense from the flying shards of an invisible wall.


	123. Scyther

Although Scyther are divided into "male" and "female", these classifications have little to do with their actual reproductive roles; they are a convenience for trainers, nothing more. Scyther are true hermaphrodites, and whether they take a male or female role when mating depends on their performance in the bizarre, deadly mating ritual of the species.

When two Scyther are ready to mate, they face off against each other, bow, and begin to fight. Some onlookers have compared it to a pokemon battle, but it is not a true battle: no matter what techniques they know, or how great the danger facing them, they will use no weapons save for their large scythe hands. Poets have titled it a dance or whirlwind of blades, and this is a far more apt description: indeed, scientists believe that their hands evolved into these large blades precisely because of this ritual.

They will continue battling until one Scyther is defeated, typically by (literal) disarmament. At this point, the victor embraces the loser, cutting deeply into its sides while its body absorbs the loser's genetic material until the defeated Scyther is sliced in half. The victor then proceeds to eat the body of the deceased, a nutrient-rich corpse which provides the energy needed to spawn many larvae and raise the next generation.


	124. Jynx

At times, on a dark and lonely night, travelers on mountain slopes far from civilization will hear a woman's haunting cry echo through the air. Most dismiss it as a mirage, for those who hear the cry are typically so exhausted that they will see mirages as surely as if it were the desert, but some, desperate for shelter, food, or signs of human life, will investigate further.

They will typically believe what they discover to be a human woman, short enough to be called a midget or dwarf, although few use those words in their presence. Their faces are black; not the dark brown bordering on black seen so frequently in African peoples, but a black tinted with purple which bears no resemblance to any on Earth. They will not speak, appearing to be mute, but gesture and draw a message and lure the travelers to their caves with a promise of will provide for them a place to stay for the night, but this night shall come at a horrible cost.

While they sleep, the Jynx (for the woman is no human at all) will plant a strange kiss on their lips, and if they make it down the mountain, they will be dogged with bad luck for the rest of their lives. It is from this curse that the term jynx or jinx (as the spelling of the term has been standardized in a way which hides its etymology) derives, for when a Jynx kisses a human, they suck out their good fortune and live with great luck for the rest of their days.


	125. Electabuzz

To many trainers, and indeed many Electabuzz themselves, Electabuzz are seen as a pale imitation of the god Raikou, a fatter, less thundercharged pokemon which wishes it was amazing. It is only in darkness, with its whitish-blue glow, that it seems to channel the spirit of the pokemon thought of so often as its ancestor.

This perception of Electabuzz is completely wrong. Although not the equals of Raikou in battle, Electabuzz power civilization. Although it is a widespread myth that they crowd power plants to siphon off energy, in reality the relationship between power plants and Electabuzz is properly described as a symbiosis. Electabuzz feed off the plant's energy, but they also convert it into a more usable form, and the plant likewise reabsorbs electric energy from them before passing it on to the public.

Raikou run across the plains of Johto, but Electabuzz power Goldenrod, and they are not worthless in battle either; their quick thunderpunches allow them to stand toe-to-toe with Hitmonchan in the ring. It was not solely because the pokemon TCG's creator had a beloved Electabuzz that he made them such a power in the early game, for they attack with a speed which dominates tournaments such as the Little Cup in the lower levels of play.

Perhaps they are not Raikou, but Electabuzz would be right to take pride in what they are, for in many ways they are greater.


	126. Magmar

The volcano of Cinnabar Island, because of its great height and useful location, is popular as a resting spot for migratory birds and has a local population of Pidgey and Spearow as well. These birds are cautious to avoid flying over the volcano's center, a crater of fire, for although warm air rises there are a surprisingly high number of birds who lose their energy over the magma and fall in.

It was once believed that these birds were incinerated so thoroughly that not even their bones could be found. It is true that this happens to their wings, but not true of the body: they instead burn eternally, the fire melting away their feathers and merging with their skeleton until it hardens into a new form. This, not Magby (who are only found in captivity) is how most Magmar are born. Once alive, they are a vicious pokemon which in the wild burns everything it can, wishing others to know their pain, for the fire sears them even as it bonds with them.

There is only one known case of a bird emerging from the Cinnabar volcano, and it is often thought to belong to myth, not reality. Nonetheless, all Magmar envy Moltres, and many leave offerings at its shrine on Cinnabar, wishing it could teach them to rise from the ashes to touch the skies once more.


	127. Pinsir

Pinsir have long been known far and wide as an enemy of all kings. Many a medieval monarch has found themselves beheaded not by their angry populace, but by a rogue group of Pinsir which attack with a pathological hatred of monarchy, regardless of whether the ruler was a benevolent one or a cruel tyrant. This fact made them an inspiration for 18th and 19th-century republicans, and when the revolution came it was a Pinsir which was given the honor of chopping off the emperor's head.

That such a pokemon could be created which not only understood human systems of government, but had strong opinions on them, has seemed implausible to many. Indeed, most believe that it is not kings Pinsir hate, but any who wear a crown, and cosplayers and occasional unfortunate war re-enactors have also found themselves targeted by this pokemon. Those who believe in their republican spirit say instead that it is a case of mistaken identity, for Pinsir are said to fight back against Nidoking and Seaking and the gods themselves as surely as they do the kings of men.

Those of a more monarchist and conservative bent have long argued, however, that what Pinsir (and by extension republics) truly represent is not revolution, but violent anarchy. Pinsir are a proud pokemon, difficult to capture and harder still to train, prone to running away or even attacking their trainers. Indeed, the revolutionary whose Pinsir executed the emperor in time lost his head not to the upheaval of revolutionary politics, but to that same Pinsir, who beheaded him in his sleep the night after he assumed the presidency.

No wonder its horns inspired the guillotine!


	128. Tauros

Tauros have often been seen as a symbol of the wilderness and barbarism: as a rash, undisciplined pokemon controlled solely by passion and instinct. This, like many common folk beliefs, is completely wrong, although watching the way they charge in battle can easily leave one with that impression.

Indeed, to control one's self and surpass one's limits, attacking with great power at the price of one's own awareness, is an art in its own, and one which requires strict discipline. In isolated areas where wild Tauros are found, they train in soltitude; they are their own masters, and their bodies are the slaves. They follow strict training schedules, demanding a certain amount of practice attacks a day, and if their attack is weak or they fail to do enough they whip themselves with their own tails.

The reason they are so hard to tame is not because they are "wild" per se, but because they are so ferociously independent, and they trust no humans to train them as hard as they train themselves.


	129. Magikarp

Magikarp, as any evolutionary biologist will tell you, should no longer exist. Not because they have few living ancestors and most of their relatives died when a meteor hit the planet countless million years ago, but because they are so poorly adapted to their environment.

Although their rough skin would seem to make them a poor choice as food, they are not without nutritional value, and many pokemon have fangs capable of piercing Magikarp skin. Gyarados are powerful, to be sure, but most Magikarp are born of other Magikarp, and Gyarados lay eggs: they do not parent. The ancient ancestors of Magikarp were large and powerful fish capable of competing for food: the modern kind seem to survive only because of large litters, but even this is not a satisfying explanation, for rarely do even two of the thousand eggs (at least among observed Magikarp) hatch and survive to reach adulthood. Typically, the rest are defeated in battle by plankton, or killed by carnivores as food or herbivores as competition. Yet their population is not only large but growing, and the world remains baffled.

Current research is aimed primarily at their splash attack, a pointless ritual and the other mystery of this pokemon. It is believed that they are connected, but only because neither of them are understood at all.


	130. Gyarados

There are two times when the average individual remembers that Gyarados is also a flying-type pokemon: On New Years, when inflatable Gyarados floats are carried through the air (real Gyarados having an unfortunate tendency to get bored and attack the crowd), and in elite pokemon battles, when they remember their vulnerability to stealth rock and stone edge. This is not strange, for although they do not touch the ground outside of the water, they move at low altitudes and seem as though they are gliding through the air.

In reality, a Gyarados' four pairs of wings make it a superior flier to most birds. They are known to leap out of the water and match Wingull for altitude, flapping their wings until they catch and devour them. Some even pose a danger to small, low-flying aircraft, for Gyarados are ferocious and are known to break windows to get at human prey; aviatiors and historians alike are all too aware that the first three attempted transpacific flights ended this way.

It is commonly believed that, because a Gyarados's slippery scales and awkward, twisting flight motions make them unsuitable for carrying human riders, they are overlooked among flying pokemon. I am less convinced, for my observations have given to me a far more likely explanation: that humans, to keep a primal terror at bay, avoid contemplating and even remembering the fact that Gyardos can fly.


	131. Lapras

One of the greatest tragedies of the pokemon world is the story of Lapras. In ancient times, they were a common pokemon, friendly to humans and larger than other water-types which carried riders, so were commonly used as a method of water transportation. Their lives were long and carefree, and they were as friendly to people as a Skitty or Growlithe.

Humans, however, were not so kind. The invention of the boat made them largely obsolete as a transportation device, and many Lapras were damaged in collisions with this new craft. They became seen as a pest, were hunted at times to cull the population, and their numbers began to dwindle. Still, they treated humans with kindness and friendship, offering rides to any who sought them.

A few centuries ago, it was discovered that Lapras shells could be used as an excellent building material for fortifications, and fleets took to the seas, effortlessly hunting them most of the way to extinction, for they had lost their fear of man. Modern Lapras are extinct in the islands south of Sinnoh, but rumors persist of holdouts in areas such as Union Cave, where Lapras are said to have learned their lesson, avoid trainers, and only surface when explorers are few in number. No reputable scientists consider these reports to be any more than local legends, for lakes are too small to sustain a breeding population of Lapras, and Lapras are a saltwater pokemon, not a freshwater one.


	132. Ditto

Many women have used the pokemon Ditto as a metaphor for their objectification, or as a protest of their social roles in a male-dominated society. This metaphor is a powerful one, for Ditto are seldom sent to battle, but prized by breeders for their ability to produce offspring of an enormous number of pokemon, some of whom are not known to reproduce in any other way. And given the potential which Ditto possess, it is an enormous shame.

Most trainers believe Ditto capable of transforming only into their opponent, and this is indeed true of a Ditto which lacks effective training. These poorly-trained Ditto are as unable to beat a Magikarp as they are Arceus himself, for transformation takes time and opposing pokemon (unlike most anime villains) do not respect the custom of not attacking during a transformation sequence.

In the hands of a Ditto master, however, few pokemon are more powerful. A skilled Ditto can shift between many memorized forms, only limited in scope by the time it takes to learn them and their trainer's imagination. They so amazing in battle that these Ditto were banned from the highest levels of the pokemon league, in tourneys where even the gods have been allowed to compete. Some great trainers seek Ditto specialists out anyway, in the hopes of finally finding a worthy opponent. They typically find their first loss in ages.

Ditto masters do not find enough opponents to make a living off prize money, however, so they and their pokemon earn sustenance either by putting Ditto to use in its many industrial applications, or by theft, for there is no more reliable way to earn a living as a master of disguise.


	133. Eevee

Branched evolution is not unknown to the pokemon world. Even in Kanto, Slowpoke and Gloom can evolve in multiple ways. But these lines involve two evolutions, while Eevee has seven known as of this writing, with more likely to be discovered in the coming years.

Eevee has therefore been the subject of intense research, most of it funded in the hopes of a grand discovery of how pokemon evolution works. Team Rocket in particular funded studies so intense that the wild Eevee in the region were virtually all turned into lab rats for experiments, as Giovanni hoped to unlock Eevee's secret and use it to create powerful armies of evolved pokemon which had never been seen before. At this task he failed completely, but his creation of an evolution-changing Eevee led to some answers, and many more questions as to just what this pokemon was. Theories abounded comparing it to the formes of Rotom, or the myriad of Unown shapes, but none of them could account for why this could have developed into a permanent change.

Today, as further experimentation has discovered little, most of the Eevee captured by Team Rocket have been sold off, some for the power of its evolutions, most because their appearance made them coveted as pets. Some have been murdered, as their strange evolutionary prowess has led to a surprisingly large number of people considering them a crime against nature which must be extinguished. Sadder still, many have resorted to abusing their Eevee to prevent them from gaining the happiness needed to evolve, citing the difficulty of caring for their evolutions or simply a desire to keep them cute and fluffy forever.


	134. Vaporeon

Of the countless water and ice-type pokemon, only a few of them are actually made of H2O, instead of merely being able to command it and live in such a climate. And of those few, it is only Vaporeon which can render itself so indistinguishable from water that it can actually undergo the water cycle intact; there is good reason that this is the pokemon from which water vapor gets its name.

When the temparature drops below freezing, they turn into Glaceon, which scientists are beginning to regard as an alternate Vaporeon form (although they say there is a rock in Sinnoh where more stable Glaceon which do not melt are born); when it rises above the boiling point of water, they disappear into steam, and occasionally their outline can be seen within the steam clouds. Boiling a Vaporeon is not fatal, like it is for most water-type pokemon. Instead, they undergo condensation, form into clouds, and literally drop out of the sky during rain storms, occasionally landing on unfortunate passersby.

This is not the only way in which their ability can cause trouble. At times, they land into reservoirs, and while sleeping are brought through water pipes into people's homes. At times people look at their cup of tap water to find a fin-eared face staring at them before it gets out and splashes them, at times they scream in embarrassment as a pokemon materializes in their bathtub, and at times the humans are fine, but the Vaporeon are sent into a spiral of dizziness in a washing machine.

All involved (their trainers especially) agree that this ability can be a real source of annoyance, but one should keep in mind that this is also what give Vaporeon their enormous power in battles which take place in the water.


	135. Jolteon

Before this modern, industrial age of steel, before darkness descended upon Kanto, in an era when the power of shadows was a mysterious one which scientists struggled to study (and their ghost-type sources believed to be little more than local myths) psychics ruled the land. A myriad of types had been replaced by an omnipotent few, and beasts like Alakazam, Starmie, and even Hypno seemed invincible – or they would have, if not for one electric-type pokemon.

It is not that Pin Missile is a super effective attack, or an especially powerful one. Indeed, other pokemon can use an attack identical in name, if not in form. But while a Beedrill fires a few barbs from its stingers, a Jolteon's fur is composed of ten thousand thundercharged needles, which can be fired in a devastating barrage in any direction from any point on its body. In terms of physical damage caused, it is actually much weaker than a thunderbolt, but few pokemon realize this, for it hurts far, far more.

The objective of a Jolteon's Pin Missile, after all, is not injury but pain. Jolteon are sadistic creatures, seldom in a good mood and always willing to cause suffering for the sake of schadenfreude. And although most pokemon run on adrenaline until the battle ends, and a few turn their wounds into a source of power, psychic-types lose their concentration and soon wake up full of painkillers in a pokemon center.

Today, Jolteon are feared more for their speed and thunderbolt than their needles. But although it was Magneton and Gengar and the inventors of the Shadow Ball technical machine which finally ended the age of psychics, let it never be forgotten that it was a Jolteon who prevented Sabrina from becoming Champion and turning Kanto into a psychic dystopia.


	136. Flareon

Today, the desert is a wilderness to be reclaimed, not an advancing force of nature, and when man touches the desert it is to irrigate. This has not always been the case, for history tells of a civilization which turned a rich river valley into a barren desert by training far too many Flareon.

Flareon have long been a popular pokemon to train; their mannerisms are commonly considered adorable, and although not the most powerful pokemon, they are effective enough at defending trainers from wild pokemon to act as guards. In the Orre Valley, then rich in fire stones and Eevee, they became popular, even fashionable, until they were as common as Hoothoot and Rattata.

As their population grew, a devastating drought spread throughout the land, bringing famine everywhere. This sparked investigation of the climate, and it was soon found that while the headwaters were fine, the Orre river itself was evaporating. The large concentration of Flareon, with their immense body heat, had overheated the river and the soil might as well have been desert sands for all its nutritional content. Upon news of this, some trainers killed their Flareon in rage or sent them to other far-flung lands, but most could not bear to part with their pokemon or their homeland. The people starved, the land turned to desert, and the survivors left their cities, forced into nomadism by their own pokemon.

Today, Orre's capital is called Phenac, after an old name for Ho-oh, for their civilization perished in flames and seeks to rise again. Orre today is a chain of cities in a vast desert, and the cities are small and often harassed by Flareon trainers raiding them for food. It has not yet rose again.


	137. Porygon

In ancient times, long before digital computers of any sort could even be imagined, man was still fascinated by the idea of a machine that could think and move on its own. Science fiction throughout the ages has dealt with this subject, from old tales about statues brought to life by some god to modern ones about a world inhabited entirely by such creatures. The very concept of artificial life stirs something deep within the hearts of men, for the invention of Porygon and its various upgrades has been followed with more interest than any scientific advance in recent memory.

Properly told, the story of Porygon begins with the invention of programming code and goes through the every major breakthrough in the fields of processing power and artificial intelligence, but it was completed (at least in its first form) in the laboratories of Silph Corporation by an eccentric computer geek named Bill. The life of the first Porygon was a stressful one, more for the media attention than any flaws in its code, and it died within a couple years. The next Porygon had some alterations, such as the ability to escape into computers when stressed, and is believed to still be alive today.

These robotic pokemon were so avidly sought by collectors who wanted them for historic value and nerds who sought to tinker with them alike that they became more sought after than Dragonite and Tyranitar. As for Bill, his experimentation was fraught with ethical controversies, for one need not worship Arceus to be uncomfortable with man tinkering with genetic code. After a few death threats from religious extremists, he went into hiding, publishing patched versions of Porygon's software and a pokemon storage system based on Porygon's ability to live in and traverse cyberspace only through the internet.


	138. Omanyte

It is quite fitting that Omanyte is the symbol of the Worldwide Association of Paleontology, headquartered in Pewter City; no other fossil would be nearly as suitable.

Although the term Omanyte is nowadays used primarily for _O. omanyte_, the most common and only one (as of this writing) to be successfully revived, an astounding variety of genera and families are known in the fossil record. Their shells are remarkably impervious to the ravages of time: while most Lazarus pokemon are only rock-types because of the nature of their revival, Omanyte shells are believed to have been made of some type of stone throughout most if not all (for the fossil record is never complete) of prehistory. But for all their immense documentation, when compared to the Treecko who grew feathers and evolved into Normal/Flying pokemon, or the relatives of Mudkip who first crawled onto the land, these pokemon have changed little throughout the centuries.

Therefore, for all their iconic status among fossils, despite being the first to be raised from extinction, Omanyte would be a weak symbol if not for the shape of their shells. They are called the spiral pokemon, and their strange shape has been subject to a great deal of speculation, more often from philosophers than from paleontologists themselves. Some have even said that Omanyte are powered not by food or sunlight, but by spiral energy; the power of evolution, the power of life itself. This claim seems a spurious one, but it should be remembered that vast quantities of fossil fuels are always found near rock formations containing Omanyte shells. We, too, use the helix to run the engines of civilization.


	139. Omastar

On the side of Mount Coronet in a cavern which was recently revealed by an avalanche, lies one of the strangest discoveries of recent paleontology, a discovery which could revolutionize our understanding of Omastar, and indeed of life itself before man. This discovery was a vast array of Omastar arranged ten deep and ten wide, enough to fill the vast cavern in which they were buried.

There are some in the scientific community who consider this find a hoax. Despite evolving from Omanyte, Omastar fossils are still too rare for anyone to realistically be capable of pulling off such a prank, but it still seemed more likely than the alternative to many. Others took a more charitable interpretation, reasoning that although one person could not arrange such a thing, it could nonetheless be the creation of some forgotten country's state cult based around Omastar – yet no other artifacts of such a society have been found anywhere on the mountain, nor could so much of the mountain be hollowed out before the age of dynamite and bulldozers. Some have diminished its importance, analogizing it to Mightyena packs on land, but no prey have been found large enough to give such a vast horde reason to form.

And then there is the explanation which would be completely obvious if it did not seem so completely impossible: the Omastar were a military installation. Arranged on the floor of some shallow river or sea, they waited for the enemy to approach to launch a massive barrage of spikes from below. The trap was countered and they were killed before they could move, left frozen in formation for millions of years.

One can only speculate as to how so many pokemon could have been mobilized for war before the dawn of man.


	140. Kabuto

In a small castle on the side of Mount Moon, a peasant boy with only a Kabuto (who were not yet extinct, merely severely endangered) was handed a poorly made sword and shield and sent off to fight for his lord in another of the many skirmishes of the Sengoku era. The armies met one another, samurai and pokemon alike trading blows, and the peasant boy's small height and inexperience made him a poor soldier. As a katana came down towards his unprotected head, his Kabuto crawled up his back with amazing speed and blocked the attack with its shell. The peasant boy stabbed his assailant in the legs, and his short height and dexterous "helmet" enabled the Kabuto to block all the blows, saving his life in the process.

To maintain its grip, the Kabuto's claws had dug into his skull, and it could not remove itself without causing life-threatening damage. The boy became a man known for his skill as a soldier, then seized a castle for himself and won battle after battle until he finally became shogun, all with a pokemon on his head. His men copied him, capturing Kabuto of their own and wearing them as helmets until there were no more left to capture.

The rest, noting the fine protection (and high status) the real thing offered, asked craftsmen to make Kabuto-shaped helmets in the hopes of capturing some of their defensive power. In time, they replaced the real thing entirely, for before long there were no more live Kabuto left. And even today, when one thinks of a samurai helmet, they think of ones in the shape of a Kabuto.


	141. Kabutops

For all the regret which the fate of the Kabutops has brought, it does no good to forget our own history, or to sanitize it so that it can be reduced to a simple tale of Man vs. Nature, casting Man as the villain. It is true that Kabutops were literally blood-drinkers: this was their primary way of feeding, as indeed it had been for the past 300 million years. It is true that on occasion, they would kill and drink the blood of human children who wandered away from civilization, but Kabutops were not the only predatory pokemon to kill humans, and wiping out the Zubat and the diseases they spread would have saved countless more human lives. And perhaps it was true that in the old days they had been our rivals, for a fear of Kabutops is reflected in most human mythologies.

It is also true that the human campaign to exterminate them was an absolute travesty, one which, with modern fossil revival technology, we are only now beginning to undo. Kabuto larva murdered in their caves, Kabutops ripped from pokeballs and trainers who resist killed with them; the atrocities need little elaboration. Many environmentalists fought back, and others hid them in their homes. In time, their brutality became their own worst enemy, xenocide led to rebellion and then to war, and those who decreed it were murdered by a brigade of Kabutops trainers, and humans and pokemon alike partook of their blood in a victory feast.

But although many breeding pairs survived, it was too late. The remaining Kabutops faced a population bottleneck, and despite their larva becoming prestigious samurai helmets, they were wiped out in a couple centuries by an epidemic disease to which the inbred survivors had no resistance.


	142. Aerodactyl

Fossil strata containing Aerodactyl are unusual in that they contain no Ivysaur or Kabutops or any other evolved pokemon. Modern experiments with revived Aerodactyl have recently confirmed what has long been theorized based on these findings: Aerodactyl possess a strange, prehistoric power which can stop evolution in its tracks.

In and of itself, however, this ability would be meaningless, an interesting curiosity. Pokemon evolution in real life does not occur in mid-battle like in card games, the range of this power is not infinite (although many feared it would be and protested the first revivals from amber) and Aerodactyl lack the ability to devolve an already evolved pokemon. Therefore, although Aerodactyl can keep an area unevolved and weak, they can not keep it that way alone, for evolved pokemon from nearby areas would invade, taking habitats over from the weak basic pokemon which would populate such a territory. And yet, as the fossil record shows, they did no such thing.

There must be something which is not understood, some missing link which explains why Aerodactyl's strange power became a meaningful adaptation, perhaps a pokemon not yet discovered with the power to devolve others. Some have speculated based on readings of a few old legends that this Pokemon was Mew. Most scientists, however, dismiss these claims with the rebuttal that there is no such thing as Mew.


	143. Snorlax

Snorlax, properly trained, are an enormously powerful pokemon, commonly seen at the highest levels of pokemon league competition. However, they are curiously rare in the lower levels, unlike others such as Garchomp or Metagross who are similarly known for their power. This is not solely because Snorlax quickly rise to the top of their respective competitions, although this does play a role: it is also because the expense of feeding a Snorlax soon renders them unaffordable for lower-level trainers.

In the wild, where they sleep for a month at a time, a Snorlax's appetite when it wakes can devastate the surrounding area. Trained Snorlax still sleep often, but they must also train and battle, which burns more energy. These Snorlax must eat even more than the usual 800 pounds of food a day to maintain the thick fat which makes them so difficult to take down in combat.

Trainers deal with this issue in a variety of ways. Some simply hand everstones to their Munchlax and continue training them, evolving them only if and when they reach the top. Others treat their Snorlax like the wild kind, waking them only for tournaments with prize money on the line to lower their metabolism and stave off bankruptcy. A few are forced into underfeeding them, and their Snorlax are relatively lean, but this makes them weaker in combat, for a lean Snorlax is as sluggish as a fat one but less able to take a hit. And sadly, far too many are forced to say goodbye and release them back into the wilderness, after a long search for somewhere with enough food for them to prosper.


	144. Articuno

Articuno is traditionally portrayed as a vengeful god of winter, and this is reflected in most of the legends about them. There is the one where, if one is to make eye contact with it or challenge it to a battle, it will gaze into their soul, and if they fail to slay it instantly, it shall judge them (or "you", for the story is often told as a warning) and turn every cell of their body to ice.

There is the one about weather, for Articuno have always been blamed even for mild flurries. Snow comes from the sky and often with wind, so the prophets of old need not have pointed to them for them to inevitably be associated with blizzards. For instance, there is a story of an Articuno that roosts on a large blue hill east-northeast of Isshu and soars around the land every winter, creating blizzards with each flap of its wings. Similar tales exist in Sinnoh of one on Mount Coronet, and perhaps all around the world where snowstorms and Articuno alike are known.

And then there is the one of it appearing to lost travelers and guiding them to their doom, a well-known tale whose standard form needs no elaboration. Curiously, a variant of the myth shows a softer side, where Articuno attempt to lead them to safety. The travelers in this version of the story have heard that Articuno bring doom, run the other way, and freeze to death on a mountainside. Perhaps this shows that Articuno have a friendly side, and the people who tell this tale have been aided by them in ages past, but perhaps it is merely a satire reflecting on the dangers of getting lost in icy mountains or taking myths at face value.


	145. Zapdos

The modern era for most religions has been an era of decline. The elaborate explanations for the origin of the world found in most faiths have been by and large disproven, while modern scientists have developed technologies which accomplished far more for us all than mere prayer. Some religions survived solely based on an ideology of tradition and ritual, while others downplayed divinity and became about finding inner peace, or made failed attempts to reconcile themselves with the modern age.

And yet this era saw the worship of the minor storm bird-god Zapdos become one of the most popular faiths in Kanto and even spread in force to the surrounding lands. Many explanations have been ventured for this, and it is true that the cult of Zapdos was never too doctrinaire, encouraged scientific research, and had a priesthood willing to adapt to the times, but to focus on this is to miss the point entirely. Zapdos, after all, is a god not merely of thunderstorms, but of electricity, and it was electricity that powered half the innovations of the modern age.

When the power went out, when a computer broke down, it was natural to try to appease the thunder bird's wrath, and when one played a good video game or even read a book by the light of a lightbulb it was equally natural to give thanks. Heat and cold still annoyed, but air conditioning and central heating made them far less troublesome, so the birds of weather became less important. And when the Great Power Plant became obsolete, it was understandably dedicated to Zapdos and set aside as a habitat for electric-type pokemon, an enormous shrine for what its owners were convinced was the greatest god of the land.


	146. Moltres

It is said that in the age when the Indigo Plateau was merely another geographical feature, Moltres itself made its nest there. It is said that the Pokemon League's legendary founder captured Moltres itself in an epic struggle, built the Hall of Fame on the site of its former nest, used it to win many battles, and when he grew old and felt death approaching, ordered a secret cavern in Victory Road to be constructed as his strongest comrade's new home.

This, of course, is legend, although it may also be fact. What is certain is that, as soon as it enters the historical record, the Pokemon League carried the flame of Moltres as its eternal torch. Pokemon trainers of the highest echelons have often worshiped it, not as a sky god or a flame god, but a god of power and victory.

Unlike many other legendary Pokemon, the existence of Moltres is not in serious doubt, although most skeptics consider it merely a rare and extremely powerful pokemon but not a god, and a few believe it to be a Pidgeot whose wings had caught fire. This is because many powerful trainers have challenged it to test their own strength, each of them seeking to be acknowledged as the greatest ever. Most fail, some perish, and others are dragged out to the Center by trainers who stumble upon Moltres' lair, or ocassionally the next challenger to come. No one since the League Founder has captured it, only Red has defeated it in combat, and even he had to use all six pokemon to do so.


	147. Dratini

Today, Dratini and its evolutions belong firmly in the realm of fact, not that of myth. With human trainers and intense training, Dragonite are no longer so rare to be thought of as gods, but merely powerful, pseudo-legendary pokemon. And their children, the six-foot long Dratini, are no longer a phantasm to be written off as an oddly colored Ekans or a Vaporeon seen from a distance; today, they are an endangered pokemon of a relatively new (if older than steel or dark) type called dragon, after Dratini's final form.

Their weaknesses have been analyzed, their mystical abilities explained as attacks, and those wishing for a touch of the mysterious in this pokemon must to turn to certain specimens. For instance, Erika of Celadon City is said to have a Dratini (why a grass-type trainer in Celadon City has a Dratini is not explained) with a special resistance to the attacks of unevolved pokemon. There is said to be a Dratini in the Safari Zone which lends a strange power to Magikarp across Kanto, enabling them to evolve into Gyarados; perhaps a farfetched tale but there is an undeniable resemblance. A Dratini in the Dragon's Den is said to have fathered the Dragonair and Dragonite trained by Clair of Blackthorn and Lance of the Elite Four, but refused to evolve so that it could maintain eternal youth.

Most Dratini trainers, however, must content themselves with a pokemon no longer deemed magical. This is a less difficult task than it sounds, for although their aura of mystery has faded, their power, rarity, and majesty have not. Before, they were a spirit who could never be captured: now, they are among the most prized of rare pokemon. Much has changed for this pokemon, but it has not changed for the worse.


	148. Dragonair

Although many pokemon are said to control the weather, most of them, such as Groudon or Kyogre, belong as much to myth as fact. It is not uncommon for a pokemon to create weather conditions through techniques like Rain Dance or Sunny Day, but these conditions are typically short-lived and highly localized. And then there is Dragonair.

For all the Weather Institute's research into machines and Castform, they could not exceed the weather control machine which existed naturally in the form of a pokemon. The crystals of Dragonair give it a remarkable control of the weather not just in its immediate vicinity, but stretching out for over a mile. Fiercely temperamental, enormously shy and vain, in the wild they brought drought to crops or answered prayers for rain, perhaps giving an origin to many religious customs. They have at times been used for warfare in recent years, for a Dragonair battalion can dampen any rocks or flames, or simply flood away the enemy's food supply. Had they been tamed in an earlier, more warlike age, one fears to think of the devastation they could have wrought.

Today, peace has come to Kanto and Johto, and Dragonair are used to keep the weather pleasant. If it rains too much they bring sunlight, if there's drought they bring rain, and they have largely ended the days of blazing summers, endless storms, and freezing winters. It is a rare weather pattern which a group of Dragonair can not vanquish, and these severe conditions are said to come from the gods themselves; perhaps they truly do, for no other explanation is forthcoming.

If one wishes to understand what life was like before Dragonair, they need only venture to Hoenn, where these pokemon are seldom found and the roads filled with endless rain or sand.


	149. Dragonite

Although their younger forms of Dratini and Dragonair are typically found in East Asia, Dragonite are most commonly found halfway around the world, in the continent of Europe. This migration is unusual in that it does not go north-south with the seasons, like many bird pokemon, but east-west, and with age like an insect. Many people have speculated as to what draws Dragonite away from home, and why they return to breed.

At first it was thought that they departed for a land where dragons were less feared, for they have always been friends to man and wished to avoid tragic misunderstandings, but increased cultural contact confirmed that the west was as fearful as the east. Nor was the region less dangerous, for the cold reaches of Scandinavia and Russia teemed with ice pokemon, and they settled there as surely as in France and Italy. And it could not be for food, for Dragonite can eat virtually anything.

Dragonite migrate not for purpose, but for ritual. They are devout in their worship of the dragon gods, who are only worshiped by humans in Sinnoh. Dialga and Palkia have given Dragonite a strong belief in the natural order of space-time, and at some point this must have become associated with migration. Perhaps in the distant past, a Dragonite priest noticed that Japan could not support their growing population, and sanctified emigration of newly evolved Dragonite, who unlike their old forms were old enough to make the journey, to a "holy" land with a similar climate. Perhaps they were required to return home to reproduce, so that future generations could be bound by a common homeland. And perhaps in time pilgrimage became custom, and then an obligated rite of passage, for they have migrated as if they were Butterfree for millennia.


	150. Mewtwo

When the battle was over, after all the blood it shed in the search for truth and freedom, Mewtwo made a solemn vow never to kill again and sealed itself within the Unknown Dungeon. Once the most powerful pokemon in Kanto if not the world, today it knows one damaging technique, a blade of psychic energy carefully controlled only to wound, which some say is reversed from a normal Psycho Cut's position.

Mewtwo's other techniques are strange ones, more mourning than attack or defense. At times it sends visions of the distant past to the opponent, doing nothing but strengthening its own resolve to survive. At other times, it tries to commune with its opponent, typically a vicious and powerful pokemon or a megalomaniac trainer, but does nothing but swap stat boosts and penalties regardless of need. Once it was found lying unconscious deep in the cave, beaten by a newborn Murkrow it was unable to damage in any way.

This is all established fact, while most wild pokemon of similar strength are still clouded in legend, for Mewtwo refuses to kill those it vanquishes in combat. At times, it even goes so far as the cave's entrance and gives directions back to the Pokemon Center; the defeated would typically prefer death to such a humbling.

Along with the usual crackpots, great trainers, and wild pokemon, at times Mewtwo is confronted by the loved ones of those it had killed in its rampage. It does not raise a tripod hand to its victims, allowing them instead to beat them to within an inch of its life, but it always recovers. It finds penance in this self-flagellation, but it is nothing of the sort. Perhaps someday, Mewtwo will finally begin to atone.


	151. Mew

On a remote island in Vermillion Harbor, there sits a mysterious truck. Hyper beams bounce off its windows, Weavile and expert thieves fail to pick the locks on the doors, and the strength of a hundred Machamp can not move it a millimeter. Its wheels are small, it sits low to the ground, and Dugtrio who try to tunnel under it find their way blocked by a strange and extremely strong substance.

Beneath the truck sleeps Mew, as it has ever since Mewtwo was defeated. It is said that in Kanto's darkest hour, a chosen one will appear who can lift the truck, or perhaps open its doors and drive it away. Mew will wake only then from its slumber, and commanded by the chosen one, save Kanto once again.

Many have tried to move the truck. Others have tried many other bizarre methods to obtain Mew, such as using a moon stone on Magikarp, but all have failed for they sought Mew only for its power. Power, however, belongs rightfully only to those with the courage and wisdom to utilize it effectively, and it is for this reason that the chosen one shall be crowned king after his victory, or so the legend states. This part of the tale does not sit well with Kanto's people, who have had more than enough of kings and emperors; indeed, a popular variant says the chosen one will commit suicide when offered a crown, for he values republics more than his own life.

Whether the story is true or not, great danger means countless casualties, and an age of heroes is one of villains as well; indeed, many villains are heroes corrupted by power, and they say there is none stronger than Mew. I, for one, hope that Mew sleeps forever.

* * *

This concludes the Kanto Pokedex. I would like to thank my friends, for they have given me many ideas and let me bounce others off them, along with Ficfags Anonymous and 4chan's /vp/ for the aid and enormous inspiration they've provided. And I would like to thank you, the reader, for sticking with this so long. (although perhaps you just jumped to Mew because it's among your favorites, and that's fine by me.) I've come a long way so far, and I have a long way to go.

Now, onto Johto. Gotta write 'em all!


	152. Chikorita

When he received a prophecy that he would rule until pokemon led humans into battle, the tyrannical Shogun of Johto took it as divine sanction for his cruelty. Torture, massacre, and slavery became the order of the day, and even his advisors soon learned to fear for their lives, yet fear of his wrath kept the public in check. He was cruel even to pokemon, dismissing the thought of them leading an army as absurd. When he found a Chikorita absorbing sunlight at the palace grounds, he thought nothing of personally drop-kicking it away; all things considered, he was being lenient.

A street protest was scheduled that day in the town square. It was nothing especially major – a little unrest, a few brave heroes who took another of the shogun's many abuses as an excuse to get themselves killed by the army. When the Chikorita wandered into the square, the soldiers thought it to be a lost pokemon and did not pay it any mind; as the species was practically extinct, they knew little about what it could do. A soothing aroma soon wafted through the city, drawing pokemon from their pokeballs and towards the site of the protest. The crowd grew dramatically, trainers apologizing for their lost pokemon and confused soldiers waving them on, until the crowd's size gave them courage.

When he received word of this, the shogun raced to the town square, emptying the rest of the barracks to bring himself an army capable of crushing the protests. The Chikorita ceased emitting its sweet scent and sent a razor leaf the shogun's way. With the pokemon disoriented from the sweet scent, the trainers charged, the army joined them, the shogun was slain, and Johto was freed. (At least until the next tyrant came around.)


	153. Bayleef

The buds around Bayleef's neck contain a valuable spice which is said to increase one's energy and restore health, but increased aggression is a common side effect. Although the first Japanese voyages to the Orange Islands were sparked more by strange rumors than by any actual pokemon, the next voyages came for Bayleef spice, for it was beloved by all who imbibed it. In time, trade turned to empire, as it was easier to take over an island and force the natives to raise these pokemon for export than it was to obtain and pay for trade goods that they actually wanted.

When alchemists discovered the formula for Bayleef spice and managed to synthesize it independently of the pokemon, the empires of Japanese lords in the Orange Islands soon melted away. Many Bayleef were attacked and murdered as symbols of the oppression the people had endured, and they were soon driven to extinction in the wild. Not all was lost, however, for a small population of Bayleef had been introduced to Japan. They survived and even thrived for a time in the temperate climate of Johto, but were unable to defend themselves when predators such as Stantler and Rapidash encroached on their territory, and survive today only as pets.


	154. Meganium

It has long been known that Meganium possess the ability to make many plants grow at twice their normal speed. This ability, as many farmers have bemoaned, does not work on grains, vegetables, and other plants domesticated for human consumption. Yet when they are planted in a recently clear-cut forest, or even an abandoned town, they become a powerful demonstration of the healing powers of the environment; no wonder that they have been worshiped for so long as gods of nature!

But unlike gods, Meganium are all too mortal. Even before the Bayleef trade their numbers had been in decline from habitat destruction, and when the former piety of the Orange Islands was replaced by an anti-colonial rage, they were not spared. As time passed and forests were sacrificed to the gods of world trade and industry, it came to be believed that the Orange Islands were being punished by the Meganium for the sin of habitat destruction, and their worship has now become more common than it was in the age when there seemed to be one or two of these pokemon in every forest.

In recent years, efforts have been undertaken to reintroduce Meganium by importing Bayleef from Johto. These efforts have divided the community, with some viewing it as atonement and others as sacrilege, but all the Orange Islands hope it will lead to the forests' welcome return.


	155. Cyndaquil

Although they appear harmless, the leading cause of forest fires in Johto was once not Typhlosion or Houndoom, but Cyndaquil. It is thought that, unlike their evolved forms, this is because Cyndaquil are unable to control the flames on their backs, although some have viewed it as a deliberate manner to burn out and cook food, albeit one which comes as a high price. This has made the survival of young Cyndaquil difficult, and not solely because of humans; most predatory pokemon (and some who are not) are prone to killing and eating wild Cyndaquil not for taste and nutrients, but to protect their habitat from deadly fires.

Attempts have been made to domesticate the Cyndaquil, mostly for their cute appearance. They are docile in captivity, but have been banned by many cities for the exact same reason, especially cities made of wood. Although they're making a comeback in captivity these days, for trainers are better at handling them and towns less flammable than before, anti-Cyndaquil laws often remain on the books and their repeal is resisted by fire departments everywhere.

Indeed, some villages such as New Bark Town have actually passed these laws recently, spurred on by nearby fires and fear-mongering campaigns. The next day, Professor Elm gave his Cyndaquil away to a young trainer and started him on an amazing journey.


	156. Quilava

It is a common saying that lava does not harden into rock, but into fur, and in this way a Quilava is born, for the way in which flames sprout from its back recalls a volcano erupting. The reality is somewhat less interesting; Quilava are an early branch of mammalian pokemon often seen as primitive and rely on these fires to regulate their internal body temperature. Their fur has sacrificed warmth for fire resistance, and was used in the old days to make clothing for firefighters, for it protects the wearer so well that they could walk through Cinnabar Volcano unfazed.

Ironically, the very item which protected Quilava from their own heat and those of predators, after tens of millions of years, became the cause of their downfall. People from farflung desert regions and volcanic islands were willing to pay a premium for Quilava fur. The emperor of Johto at this time had lost a palace to a Cyndaquil fire, and was eager to comply, but was far more interested in paying off a vast governmental debt than in maintaining the population as a resource for the future.

Thus passed the wild Quilava from Johto, overhunted like so many others.


	157. Typhlosion

One of the more interesting what-ifs of technological history is the failure of Johto to invent the Typhlosion car. Although electricity, despite its modern utility was not and perhaps could not be well-understood or controlled until the modern era, humans have long understood the power of fire, and indeed, plans for using fire pokemon to create motor vehicles have been imagined by a few ancient thinkers. But it is only in Orre, a land too remote from other civilizations to spread its inventions far and wide, that this idea has seen practical use.

The vehicles are large ones, with a rock or earthen frame sitting across four Typhlosion curled up into balls as in the flame wheel attack. An engine at the center powered by the Typhlosion's own flames propels the pokemon forward, allowing them to maintain their motion with little effort and speed across the desert sands at up to fifty miles per hour. Although Ponyta and Rapidash remained more common for personal transport, and Pidgeot likewise for mail, Typhlosion cars gave the land of Orre an unparalleled ability to move goods and machinery across long distances, linking the region together like never before, and allowing children, the disabled, and those who simply were poor pokemon handlers to travel as well.

Unfortunately, moving from one end of Orre to the next ultimately meant little, for there was little in that barren land to move and bandits often attacked the cars in order to steal the Typhlosion. But one can only imagine how much it could have done for Johto, and for Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh as well.


	158. Totodile

I apologize for the long delay in getting this out. I hope this marks my return to a regular update schedule.

* * *

It is amazing that a creature which had survived unchanged for hundreds of millions of years could be nearly wiped out in the wild by man in the space of a few hundred. It is even more amazing that such a creature could be thoroughly domesticated, to the point where Totodile today are a friendly and docile pokemon which have changed so much from their wild forebears that they are properly considered a separate species – _T. domesticatus. _And yet through the power of artificial selection, Totodile are today among the most common pets in Johto.

Man has created not one species of Totodile, however, but two. For while most Totodile were bred for docility, there were those who saw in the species the seeds of a ferocious, amphibious warrior and bred them to that end. And it is these Totodile which survive in the wild today; indeed, it is their final form of Feraligatr from which we get the term "feral".

The feral Totodile, for all their skill in battle, were simply too hard for their trainers to control. The decision was made to release them all into the wild, for their breeders could not bear to destroy their own creations; perhaps it would have been kinder if they had. The new Totodile and their evolutions went after their prey with complete determination, even chasing pokemon such as Marill and Bidoof onto the land to devour them. The ancient Totodile, who had always waited for their prey to swim by and survived because they always eventually did, never stood a chance.


	159. Croconaw

Totodile and Feraligatr are not all that different in appearance, but Croconaw, with its egg torso and short, stubby limbs, seems like something else entirely. Pokemon professors have thought up new hypotheses to explain the mystery of Croconaw every decade, some comparing its body to the shells of other water-types, others to the cocoons of many bug and dragon-type pokemon; none, however, have survived peer review. And where logic and experiment has failed us, legend has once again stepped in.

Totodile, it is said, despise being born. From the moment curiosity leads them to break their eggshells, they are horrified by the chaos and struggle to survive of the outside world. They live like eggs even once hatched, rarely moving or speaking, doing the bare minimum to survive, until some other frustrated pokemon – in some versions a God speaking to the first Totodile ever born - asks why they even bothered to hatch at all. At first the suggestion offends them, but in time it gains a powerful appeal. And then, like Bagon jumping off cliffs to fly, they evolve through sheer willpower and turn half their body into an egg! In time, however, they will grow bored of an egg's life, make peace with the world of the born, and hatch for a second time into Feraligatr.

This is of course a ludicrous explanation, but that has not stopped parents from telling it to their children for generations, nor has it prevented a sizable minority of trainers from asking this very question of their pokemon in the hopes of speeding up its evolution.


	160. Feraligatr

Feraligatr, as any zoologist knows, are not bipeds but quadrupeds. It is true that their back legs are thicker than their front legs, that their prior forms of Totodile and Croconaw are bipedal, and that some pet Feraligatr can be trained to stand up, walk around a few steps, and use their newfound height to bite at flying-type prey. But any observation of them on land would reveal the need for four legs to have any sort of real mobility; a bipedal Feraligatr would struggle to so much as support its own weight for a prolonged period of time.

This misconception is enormously common, so much so that some editions of the pokedex devote space to debunking it, for it is an ancient artistic convention to depict Feraligatr standing up. The custom originated as a way to make the pokemon look more fearsome, and it has maintained itself through generations because it serves to anthropomorphize the pokemon. Famous paintings throughout the ages have portrayed Feraligatr in this way, whether they were receiving messages from Arceus or walking out of the ocean like the predecessors of man. Modern portrayals have tried harder to justify it, often showing them in battle or chomping at flying pokemon; few, however, have taken the step of showing them on all fours.

Most people will never encounter a Feraligatr on land. Wild Feraligatr are highly endangered and extremely dangerous, so people stay away from them. They are not considered a strong pokemon, and seldom seen in League events. Totodile are popular pets, but few pets train hard enough to evolve. And because of their enormous height, many zoos are reluctant to shell out the money for an expensive Feraligatr enclosure, for they average a height of 7'7'' when on all fours!

And so the myth survives.


	161. Sentret

In Johto, it is traditional to trade away Sentret when receiving gifts. This is because of the fact that for all but a select few, pokemon can not be given away, only traded. Even if the ball is handed over, a trade must take place for the pokemon to acknowledge its new trainer. Sentret are used for this purpose because they are so common and easy to catch. (Trades, after all, need not be exchanges of equals.) Their habit of standing on their tails may help them against pokemon assailants, but against superior human eyesight they only stick out like targets, so one usually must only throw a pokeball to capture them.

Because of this, Sentret have entered Johto culture as a symbol of reciprocity. Children at Christmas or other gift-giving holidays will typically buy their parents tiny Sentret figurines, which parents often collect to remind themselves of years gone by. Charities will often display rows or whole halls of Sentret-related merchandise; it is not required, but there are many who wish to give something in return, either when desperate or after turning their lives around. Idioms refer to them as well; the generous are called "Sentret lovers", while returning a gift is called "Taking back your Sentret."

As for the Sentret themselves, most of them sit in pokeballs or as household pets, or are even released into the wild after the trade is made. But in addition to the trade, it is customary to hold a "Sentret battle", where the two traded pokemon face off after a set period of time to make sure the pokemon exchanged for the Sentret is sufficiently cherished. Usually these battles are formalities, but sometimes, even against beloved and highly trained new pokemon, the Sentret even win.


	162. Furret

If Weedle are the assassins of the pokemon world, then Furret are the spies. They burrow silently through dirt and sand, or even stone and brick, leaving behind tunnels too narrow for other pokemon to pursue them, or even to notice. They escape easily, for they run through the underground as though it was a vast and endless plain. Although known as spies, they are common enough that the insufficiently cautious will take no note of their presence. And their senses are remarkably keen, allowing them to detect danger and likely even hear enough to report back everything needed, if only they could speak.

It is, of course, only with the invention of portable voice recording technology that Furret began to be employed for espionage. In the old days, human spies or Chatot were used, but it was difficult to disguise Chatot as Pidgey, and humans were often detected and killed – or worse for their employers, captured and turned double-agent.

Outside of Orre, of course, Furret have none of these weaknesses, just one enormous one. Furret have small lungs, and it is this which makes the narrowness of their tunnels often prove to be a tragic double-edged sword. If the tunnels they dig cave in, Furret will usually be unable to dig back to the surface in time. Instead, they die of asphyxiation, their knowledge and incriminating tapes lost with them. This is why those who suspect they are being watched always teach one of their pokemon Earthquake. The truly paranoid, such as Team Rocket's Giovanni, also teach them Fissure.


	163. Hoothoot

The feathers which extend out from Hoothoot's eyes rotate around them completely in twenty-four hour cycles. At sunrise on the equinox (although varying times throughout the year) the tufts will cross their eyes, signaling to them that it is time to fall asleep. Some determined insomniacs attempt to stay up later, finishing what they are doing with a restricted field of vision; others go back to sleep when they awake to find the bottom of their eyes blocked by clock feathers.

These tufts are of course called clock feathers, for it was them which inspired the clock. They are not identical to pure clocks; their two hands are always at the same angle and solely tell the hour. (Minute hands and twelve-hour clocks are of course the inventions of clockmakers, and have no counterparts on Hoothoot.) In fact, they are responsible for the very concept of the hour, for when standing, they switch legs every sixty minutes. Indeed, there have been many kings and presidents throughout history who did not trust in the accuracy of clocks and declared their own Hoothoot to be the official timekeeper for all government purposes.

Interestingly, despite its relative rarity in Sinnoh as compared to Johto, Hoothoot actually appear more frequently in the art and iconography with the region. There, they are depicted as Dialga's loyal companions, and even ordinary Hoothoot are said to reach Dialga's ears by speaking while standing on both legs. Given their reluctance to use both legs except in times of grave danger, perhaps there is something to this tale after all.


	164. Noctowl

Some pokemon, such as Snorlax and Abra, sleep away most of their days. Others, such as Sharpedo, sleep rarely, although artificial sleep can be induced. And then there are Noctowl, which can fly over a field of Breloom and Parasect without so much as closing their eyes, and take them all down with air slashes for good measure.

When effective spore traps were first discovered as a means of information warfare, Noctowl were pressed into service as messengers, because their bulky bodies and resistance to sleep allowed them to perform the task far better than carrier Pidgey. Similarly, when chemical agents were developed and spread sleep spores across the battlefield, it was Noctowl who battled in the air and roused their teammates from their slumber. Perhaps the world would have been better off had they not; war would be so much less horrible were it simply a matter of seizing power and killing leaders while the enemy sleeps. And of course, in the year when a certain trainer decided to bring a Darkrai and Breloom to the Indigo Plateau, he was only defeated when a clever trainer included a Noctowl with U-turn in his team.

It has long been suspected that Noctowl have obtained a superior control over their mind and have therefore evolved past the need for sleep. This is of course nonsense. Even with the superior focus of an upside-down head, their psychic powers are far too weak to do the impossible; even Alakazam and Metagross need to rest their brains sometimes.

Instead, whenever Noctowl fly past a sleeping pokemon, they steal its dreams, hypnotizing pokemon into sleep themselves when they get tired. By feasting on the dreams of others, they rejuvenate without sleep, a skill which they lost with their clock feathers the moment they evolved.


	165. Ledyba

Although the five-spotted Ledyba is the most common type, the number of spots on wild Ledyba vary from one to six. This does not depend on the species of Ledyba, but varies like a Spinda's patterns, with different numbers found even in the same family. The spots on these pokemon are more familiar to most people as the arrangement of dots on a six-sided die, which is no accident, for Ledyba have historically been used in a variety of gambling games.

Most common among the games featuring Ledyba was the one which inspired modern dice. Six Ledyba, one of each pattern, were placed in a hexagonal cage, each in corners equidistant from the center, and an inexpensive food item such as an Oran Berry was dropped into the center from a tube. The six raced into the center and whichever Ledyba caught it was declared the winner, as was whoever had placed a bet on that one to win. At richer establishments, this contest was used in a similar fashion to modern die rolls, with multiple berry drops a game, players rolling against each other for the higher number, and a thousand other variants played only in gambling halls and casinos. Ledyba catching contests were also held, where points were tallied not based on the number of Ledyba caught, but on their spots; this in time evolved into the convoluted scoring system of today's Bug Catching contests.

Unfortunately, their training and feeding was expensive, and the results of Ledyba gambling were often less than purely random, depending on the individual skill levels of the pokemon involved. Today, save at a few traditionalist locations, gambling is done with dice and cards, and no one cares about Ledyba anymore.


	166. Ledian

There are no known grass-type pokemon which photosynthesize energy primarily from starlight, for starlight can not compare to the brightness of the sun. There is, however, one bug-type pokemon which does exactly that. Ledian are quite unusual in this respect; their larval form of Ledyba subsist on smaller bug pokemon such as Caterpie, and other bugs eat the leaves and nectar of grass-types, but Ledian, unable to process sunlight or eat food, rely on the strange wavelengths of distant stars.

Oddly enough, despite their energy source being easiest by far to receive at night, Ledian are a morning pokemon, and many have speculated as to the reasons for this odd behavior. Grass-type pokemon are diurnal, and their movement is based on spreading pollen, finding good soil and open sky, or in some cases such as Victreebel, supplementing their sunlight with living food. Ledian, however, do none of these things; their mating is in the manner of insects, they do not eat, and they can not filter starlight from sunlight to absorb it in the daytime.

The only explanation which has been ventured for the morning activity of Ledian is one which is not based on evolutionary fitness at all. Ledian, it is argued, are used to an active life as Ledyba, and like humans are capable of feeling boredom. Therefore, after the nights restore their energy, they spend their mornings engaging in whatever activities they enjoy, until they tire in the afternoon and fall asleep once again. There are those who have not accepted this, who believe some hidden purpose for their daytime activity will be eventually found, but most Ledian specialists see this as just another piece of evidence that pokemon are more complex and intelligent than we tend to realize.


	167. Spinarak

Observers of wild Spinarak had long known of the changing expressions on their back, which appeared to have no relation to food or comfort or anything else which produced emotions. This is in sharp contrast to their trained counterparts, whose back emotes like the faces of humans and indeed many pokemon. At the time, the observers had concluded that trained Spinarak learned to mimic humans, and considered them quick learners, yet a good deal of evidence suggested that the speed at which they learned was not merely fast, but instantaneous! Furthermore, web fibers were often found a long way away from any Spinarak, yet always seemed to lead to one – but what purpose could such an enormous web have?

It was only a few decades ago that the mystery was unraveled. Much like the great networks of our modern age, Spinarak are connected by wires of silk. Interlocking webs move throughout most of the forests which these pokemon inhabit, under the ground, inside trees, and anywhere else the durable but thin strands would not be easily disturbed. Alas, there is no "World Wide Web" for them, for the material they use is still too often broken; they are lucky to connect one forest to another.

The Spinarak do not use these webs to catch prey, but to communicate, sending signal beams across the wires to converse. At first, the network was strictly used for practical information, such as the locations of food, predators, and pokemon trainers, and upcoming gatherings. But in time, work gave way to leisure, and the network is now used for everything from love confessions and gossip to local wonders and oral storytelling. The Spinarak of old were bored in their webs, but today few of them ever want to leave.


	168. Ariados

It is impossible to escape from a Chandelure until it is defeated, and most pokemon are too frightened to flee from a Crobat after meeting its gaze. And yet both of these pokemon pale in comparison to the terror of Ariados, for at least they can be seen and attacked after trapping their prey. Ariados, however, strike from out of nowhere.

The slime which Ariados spit is so thin that they can even strike from the inside of a closed pokeball. The gluey substance can be sent over five hundred feet with precise aim – no small feat for a pokemon of Ariados' small size – and is aimed either at the back of the legs to make turning more difficult, or behind them to create a barrier and cut off the path to retreat.

Trainers must be especially wary when encountering wild Ariados. Ariados slime is illegal in the Pokemon League, because it is impossible to detect when the slime was fired and bench attacks are illegal in standard play. The only rule acknowledged by wild Ariados, however, is the rule of the jungle: kill or be killed. The slime interferes with the ability of a pokemon to return to its pokeball; it can eventually be washed off, but not in a life-or-death battle. Far too many young trainers have lost their first pokemon this way after venturing too far into the Ilex Forest.

It is generally believed that the walls of Fuchsia Gym are made of Ariados slime, and it has been widely rumored that Koga's ascent to the Elite Four involved him using this technique against Agatha to scare her into surrender. (Agatha, protective of her image, maintains that she resigned of her own volition.)


	169. Crobat

The discovery of Crobat a few years ago by researchers in Johto is most remarkable for the fact that it took so long for them to be discovered. Zubat and Golbat have long been known to trainers across the pokemon world, largely as cave pests, but often as comrades as beloved as any Bulbasaur or Pikachu. And yet, despite the requirement for evolution simply being to make them happy, none of them ever evolved.

A Golbat's smile looks more like a painful grimace than a gesture of happiness, and this misunderstanding has stuck with trainers for millennia. It had therefore become a piece of accepted folk wisdom that Golbat hate the great outdoors and prefer their pokeballs and caves; in reality, the opposite is true, for Golbat's ancestors were pushed into caves by humans in the first place. Likewise, Golbat were thought to be unable to digest poffins, and were thought of as too ugly for contests; in reality, they love their taste and enjoy contests as much as battles. So accepted was this belief that when Crobat were finally discovered, it was by accident, when a Golbat was left outside in an open-air enclosure with a pile of poffins nearby.

A great deal is still not known about Crobat, including the long-term health effects of this evolution; indeed, some suspect that poffins are bad for them after all. What they are notable for is restlessness. A Crobat's wings are so big that they can barely stand, nor are they effective enough to glide; instead, they are flapped constantly, with the pokemon never seeming to tire or stop, only to hover with seemingly more effort than it takes to move. But they are almost always smiling, and their smile looks like happiness.


	170. Chinchou

Most electric-type pokemon generate their own electricity, but Chinchou are unable to do so. Instead, they most absorb electricity from their surroundings, swimming after thunderstorms until they are struck by lightning, and feeding on other pokemon who are killed by their own weakness and the fact that water conducts electricity.

A thunderstorm is a feast for any Chinchou, but one too infrequent, unreliable, and seasonal to allow them enough food to survive. Although their evolved form of Lanturn can hunt by luring pokemon to their lights, Chinchou lights lack the brightness to draw water pokemon their way, and they are fragile enough that such a hunting method would be extremely dangerous for the hunter. Therefore, when too long has passed without one, Chinchou gather to create a thunderstorm of their own, discharging enough electricity into the water to kill all but the strongest fish within a one-mile radius. As a hunting method, it is complete overkill; the small Chinchou can not possibly consume that much food, and instead it creates an ample meal for scavengers like Pelipper.

"Chinchou" has therefore entered the language as an adjective to describe anything where the benefits of an activity are far outweighed by the destruction it caused. For instance, slash-and-burn agriculture is also called Chinchou agriculture, and like the Chinchou who move across the ocean, farmers who burn forests rotate from forest to forest, allowing them time to rebuild before burning again. The same can not be said, however, of the many "Chinchou factories" in cities like Celadon, where weak environmental protections allow factories to flood rivers with waste, killing water-types as surely as a Chinchou pod's thunderbolts. For these factories, Chinchou themselves are among the victims, and the water remains poisonous for years if not generations.


	171. Lanturn

Many stories speak of the terrors of the sea, pokemon such as Poliwrath or Gyarados which few encounter and live to tell the tale. Far fewer, however, discuss the comrades of every sailor, the pokemon who are seen not just as food or danger, but as a blessing of good fortune for all those who encounter them. And yet when these tales are told, they are often read by the light of the very pokemon which counts itself as their subject, for every ship has its Lanturn.

The use of Lanturn for nautical illumination is as old as large wooden ships, for the simple reason that alternatives such as Charmander could cause the boats to ignite. Lanturn, however, maintain an internal light, and have long been popular for illumination among pyrophobes, so they were pressed into service to aid navigation on cloudy nights. They are most popular not for their practical value, however, but for entertainment; long voyages at sea demand some way to stave off boredom, so on nights when starlight was sufficient to guide the ship, sailors spent their downtime huddled around the glowing twin lights of a Lanturn, reading long tales aloud.

It is not only trained Lanturn which are seen as benevolent allies of seamen. When a ship encounters one of the many floating colonies of wild Lanturn, they will perform light shows and communicate information on weather and hazards to the ship's captain. This is because most sailors treat their own Lanturn extremely well, and Lanturn pods repay every kindness given them and always remember their friends.


	172. Pichu

There are many species pokemon which injure themselves in battle, some of which have even gained fame for this tendency. Staraptor are known far and wide for their reckless courage, while Electrode have a reputation for blowing up when losing a battle. And then there are Pichu, which impresses even Wailord with their willingness to absorb and even be knocked out by their own attacks; if only they had the volts to back it up!

Pikachu and Raichu are known to forage over some distance for food, and they are poor diggers, so Pichu are often left alone at a young age. It is believed that their recoil attacks, such as volt tackle, evolved as a defense mechanism. When faced with hungry Pidgeotto or Fearow while their parents were out, Pichu had to rely on their own attacks for survival, and if they injured themselves in the process it was better than being eaten.

Sadly in this case, man has again perfected what nature invented. Today, there is a popular tournament circuit for newborn pokemon known as the Little Cup, and Pichu, with their powerful yet self-destructive attacks, have become a staple. Breeders strive to create stronger and stronger attackers at birth, caring little for how badly the baby pokemon injure themselves, at times even equipping dangerous items such as Choice Band or Life Orb to make their attacks stronger. Many Pichu will have shortened lifespans and permanent injuries even once they evolve, but neither the breeders nor the Pichu seem to care. Instead, they strive for victory in the Little Cup, and with it, the coveted qualification (and inevitable last-place finish) in a more prestigious tournament which even Mewtwo is said to never miss.


	173. Cleffa

Long ago, when Clefable were being driven off the moon and cramming into spaceships to take them to earth, one captain defied orders. Believing earthlings were too dangerous for Clefable to rebuild among them, he took his ship away from the Sun and the Earth, aiming for one of Jupiter's moons, but crashed in the asteroid belt and was never heard from again.

His passengers, however, eked out a living on this strange asteroid. They and their descendants began to terraform (or perhaps lunaform) the asteroid, growing mysterious berry plants capable of gaining nutrients from solid rock. However, because the asteroid was made primarily of everstone, once the first generation passed away, this colony became one made up exclusively of Cleffa. Despite their infant forms, they continued to fall in love, have children (unlike Earth's Cleffa, who must evolve before reproduction), wage war, and survive, if on a bleak and barren asteroid far from any other life.

Collisions with other asteroids are frequent, and every now and then, a meteor big enough to contain a Cleffa is dislodged from the main asteroid. Typically, this results in a slow and lonely life, separated from all others they know until they come too close to the sun and burn up, or drift aimlessly through the asteroid belt for the end of their days. Many of these meteors, however, have found their way to our planet. The Cleffa riding them soon evolve into Clefairy, but they do not join their bretheren in lunar dances and prayer. This is because they do not long for the moon, but are grateful to live on Earth.


	174. Igglybuff

The song of Jigglypuff is often sung to completion, although only insomniacs and other Jigglypuff have ever had the opportunity to listen all the way through. The song of Igglybuff, on the other hand, has never been recorded in its entirety, nor are there any alive today who can truthfully claim to have heard it.

Igglybuff, like many baby pokemon, have difficulty remaining awake in the best of times. Even a mild physical exertion can drive them easily to sleep, and they have not yet trained their ears to resist the spellbinding and soporific power of their own vocal cords. Most Igglybuff songs finish after a few bars, without anyone save the singer falling asleep. A few of the higher-level ones make it through the first couple verses, causing the already tired to shut their eyes at last. With the aid of Chesto Berries, some have sung for over three minutes before dozing off, even putting most of the audience to sleep before they themselves ran out of energy.

It is recorded in ancient texts that an Igglybuff once finished its tune. The beauty of its song is said to have caused the armies of two warring nations to refuse to fight, and the kings of these countries, once bitter enemies, became friends and allies for the rest of their days. Some, seeking world peace, have sought to make Igglybuff sing once again, but all they have won for their strain are exhausted pokemon and unintended naps. Perhaps they have simply not figured it out. And perhaps the tale of an Igglybuff's song was never anything more than a legend formed by the human tendency to believe amazing things happen whenever you go beyond the impossible.


	175. Togepi

Back when Kabutops roamed the land and Omastar the seas, Togekiss and Aerodactyl are known to have filled the skies, like Pidgeotto and Fearow today. Sixty-five million years ago, a large meteor struck the planet, and no Togekiss would be seen again for millions of years. Today, they are still extraordinarily rare, having been well-adapted for a niche which no longer exists. And yet their eggs survived.

Togepi, which do not fully shed their eggshell until completing evolution, have the remarkable ability to determine the time of their own hatching, even at the expense of waiting an eternity. They are an extremely cautious pokemon in this regard, requiring abundant food and often even a willing and capable caretaker before hatching. And so throughout the ages, a small but steady trickle of Togepi have continued to hatch. Most died young, their "mothers" outraged by the strange creatures, their bodies designed to hunt insects which no longer existed. A few found an acceptable diet, lived long lives, and occasionally even reproduced, but very few of their bloodlines grew sufficient in number to be more than a drop in the enormous bucket of ancient, unhatched Togekiss eggs.

To this day, functioning Togepi eggs are found near fossils, and often taken home to be raised by paleontologists. Once they hatch, they are fairly unremarkable creatures, walking around with half their eggshell on as if unsure whether or not conditions are ripe for evolution, notable only for their usage as good luck charms and a lower incidence of mood disorders for their trainers. Interestingly, some Togepi have outlived generations of trainers before concluding that it was time to evolve; it seems that the half-hatching performed by Togepi does not completely remove the remarkable power of their eggs.


	176. Togetic

Unlike Blissey, who are seen as a natural pokemon center and therefore beloved by all living things, Togetic are not associated by most Pokemon with happiness. For ancient pokemon like Kabuto and Omanyte, they were a source of fear, a predator who could command plant life and slice through their shells from afar with leaves, then feast on the remains. Most modern pokemon regard Togetic with mild indifference, finding them far too rare to be a source of any emotion save for curiosity. And then there is Man, who considers them a good luck charm across all cultures and has dubbed them the "Happiness Pokemon".

It is mysterious that humans would think so highly of Togetic. Unlike many other beloved pokemon such as Growlithe and Pikachu, this appeal to humans did not develop as a result of their domestication; indeed, most pet Togetic predate their owners by millions of years! The effect of Togetic can not be reproduced even in other humanoid pokemon such as Jynx or Mankey, yet it is undeniably real: clinical trials have shown that the presence of a Togetic actually outperforms most antidepressants in humans.

Although there is not yet consensus on the matter, an increasing body of evidence has begun to suggest that domestication is the source of this strange phenomenon; it is simply that Togetic were not the ones domesticated. This theory has been pilloried for its troubling implications, but even those who deny it accept some kind of symbiosis between Togetic and early man. The paucity of shiny stones in this era led to a lack of Togekiss mothers, so before we invented weapons and pokeballs, we cared for Togepi, and were rewarded with happiness when they evolved.


	177. Natu

Although Natu are native to the Americas, small flocks have been found from Hoenn to Sinnoh, which are generally thought to have been imported to this region by the ancient city of Alph. And although the climate of the area is not substantially different from that of Violet City, Azalea Town, or many other regions in the area, the tall grass outside Alph's ruins is the only part of Johto where wild Natu can be found.

And like a Growlithe who waits for their master years beyond his death, Natu in Johto have become a symbol of loyalty. Unlike the Unown, who found the vast caverns where Alph once stood uniquely suited to them even when the people there were wiped out, Natu stand guard over a ruin where no people live, refusing to leave the spirits of the dead city which once loved them as pets and treated their evolved forms of Xatu as beings one step below the gods.

Some have said that Natu, because they can see the future, are lying in wait for Alph to rise again, but it is difficult to see how such a future would ever come to pass; it has been over a thousand years and the region has only declined. Today, there are no inhabitants left to rise again, save perhaps for a couple of archaeologists who could theoretically go mad and seek to conquer the world with Unown. Others say they refuse to leave not out of loyalty, but out of bitterness, for the surrounding lands of Johto all participated in the great sack of Alph, and Natu never forget or forgive a grudge.


	178. Xatu

Although the city of Alph has had its share of kings and emperors, it was long said that the power behind the throne was the royal line of Xatu Oracles. Xatu have long been said to be able to see the future, but this was a sad and lonesome fate, for they were unable to change it. In Alph, however, they were given enough Unown to spell out a full sentence, treated as full members of the royal court, and always consulted in times of great crisis. Such is the way that Alph grew into a great empire.

The Xatu prophecies were not perfect. The simple act of observing the future and communicating it to others can be enough to alter the flow of time. Some Xatu had poorer future sight than others, and often communicated in cryptic prophecies, and even the wisest, because of the vast energy involved in commanding so many Unown to make words, had to resort to this method on occasion. And yet despite this weakness, it worked for hundreds of years, as long as the kings listened to their Xatu and the Xatu loyally gave advice.

But Xatu can be a temperamental pokemon, and kings too proud to listen to their advisors. The sources differ on whether the Xatu or the last king was to blame. Where they agree was that he did not consult the Xatu Oracle, built Alph to its greatest height of glory, and through his megalomania gave rise to a great coalition against him of kings who feared for their own thrones. When Alph was besieged by forces ten times the size of his remaining army, humbled by desperation, the king at last asked what he should do. The Xatu is said to have wept as he answered.

"RUN"


	179. Mareep

Mareep store their electricity in their wool, and this has long made Mareep wool a prized possession, especially in colder areas such as Sinnoh. Not only can it be made into electric blankets, but Mareep wool also produces warm clothing, if ones which mildly shock the wearer when getting dressed through static electricity. Although with the growth of global trade, clothing made from Cottonee and Whimsicott has also become available, Mareep wool still dominates the fabric market outside of Unova.

Mareep wool expands when they absorb excess amounts of electricity, and farmers have long taken advantage of this fact by using other electric-type pokemon such as Jolteon to shock mareep before shearing – a long-accepted practice. In recent years, Mareep are increasingly not shocked by other pokemon, but hooked up to generators. Although this practice allows for far greater amounts of wool to be produced, many customers find it less comfortable than wool created from a simple thundershock.

Worse, tragedy has recently struck the fabric industry, and called into question the safety of Mareep wool produced in this new manner. A young boy in Violet City was electrocuted putting on a sweatshirt made of generator-produced wool, and a devastating explosion struck an Olivine farm when too much electricity was pumped into a Mareep and it blew up like an Electrode. Public outcry has enforced new limits on the amount of wool which can be produced at one time per Mareep, but critics have argued that they are set too low to ensure the safety of farmers, Mareep, and customers alike.


	180. Flaaffy

It is said that the sport of Flaaffyball is aptly named, for so much of how it is played is determined by the ball itself. The blue, rubber, electrically charged sphere grows naturally on the tail of every Flaaffy, and is much smaller than the Voltorb, Sandshrew, and other pokemon traditionally used in Goal Roll. (A related game, Mareepball, is not played professionally because of the ball's even smaller size.) Consequently, the ball is not headed or kicked, and the game is instead played with the hands. Furthermore, because it is uneconomical to raise a Flaaffy simply for its ball (the wool and hide being far more valuable) balls are often in short supply, so they are not replaced during a game. Visibility is actually a greater issue early in the game, as dirt and grass which accumulates over the course of the game prevent it from blending in with the sky when thrown.

Flaaffyball is a fast-paced sport, because the ball retains enough of an electrical charge to make it difficult to handle for prolonged periods. It is played by advancing the ball from one end of a grass and dirt field to another, typically by passing, although dribbling is also legal, if difficult because of the rubber ball's unpredictable bounces. Some players make a show of hitting the ball to advance it, but the ball is too small to bat effectively with one's hands and only goaltenders are allowed bats.

Urbanization has not been kind to Flaaffyball; with fields and Flaaffy alike in short supply, it has lost its former dominance. However, it retains legions of passionate fans, a popular professional league, and is by no means a dying game.


	181. Ampharos

In the art and religion of Ancient Johto, the sun god was always depicted as an Ampharos which carried the sun at the end of its tail. It is not hard to see why. The light of an Ampharos' tail may not actually be bright enough to be seen from space (despite legends to the contrary) but it is no less dangerous to stare at than the sun. Back when rebel leaders were punished by blinding, it was Ampharos who did the job. Indeed, many Ampharos wear tail coverings when not in battle, to avoid injuring their trainers or spectators from prolonged exposure to their light.

Although the Flash hidden machine (later developed into a technical machine) was derived from Ampharos' tail, Ampharos themselves must be taught to use it. When they enter a cave before this training, their light illuminates the cave as though it were daytime, drawing the fury of Golbat and Graveler who vastly prefer their dark homes. Most pokemon must be trained to emit a steady light; training an Ampharos to use flash, however, is the art of training one to control it.

Ampharos' light, like that of the sun, can illuminate as easily as it blinds. And while many fear it, sailors are grateful for Ampharos, for their bright tails are what enable lighthouses to guide them gently into harbors.


	182. Bellossom

It is odd to consider that, while sunlight typically makes plants bigger and stronger, a Gloom exposed to excess sun (or sun stones) will shrink to a smaller size than an Oddish when it evolves into a Bellossom. Furthermore, unlike a Gloom's noxious odor and venom (or that of wild Oddish, although farm Oddish have had the poison bred out), Bellossom are not poisonous and extremely edible pokemon. Indeed, some have questioned if it is even an evolution at all; Gloom certainly turn into Bellossom, but to many it seems like a devolved version of Gloom, or certainly a dead end compared to a Vileplume.

Yet many trainers choose to evolve their Gloom into Bellossom, and there is a good deal of evidence to suggest that they made the right choice. Bellossom emit a sweet, pleasant fragrance which draws their opponents to them, then strike them with a powerful, point-blank Solarbeam, winning many a battle instantly. Their small size and dancing ability allow them to move around and dodge many attacks, whenever their rival either manages to regain focus or lacks a significant sense of smell. These matches often come down to the weather; against opponents of more or less equal strength, Bellossom usually win in the sun, but lose on cloudy and rainy days.

Most trainers who choose the path of Bellossom, however, do not do so for power. Instead, they do so because they find Bellossom to have a kinder temperament, a much better fragrance, and because they grow beautiful flowers which can be picked and given to loved ones. Evolution is nothing more than adaptation, and Bellossom, evolving as they do from domestic Oddish, have become a species which humans love.


	183. Marill

Marill, despite being a water-type pokemon, belong to the same evolutionary family as Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu, and Pikachu. They are recent arrivals to the world of pokemon, a creation of the Pleistocene contemporaneous with humans. Specimens of a pokemon blue in color and somewhere between it and Pikachu in shape have been found in glacial ice and dubbed "Pikablu" by the media, a name occasionally and erroneously applied even to true Marill.

Although modern Pikachu are poor swimmers, their ancestors were amphibious, flying creatures who hunted with electricity and preyed on fish in the manner of Chinchou and Lanturn. At times even today a Pikachu is found who has not lost the ability to surf or fly, albeit never both, and Marill descend from these surfing Pikachu. Their color changed to allow for camouflage in water, their body shape became an extremely buoyant one, their tail filled with oil and can even be used as a flotation device, making them need little energy to swim. Even their diet changed dramatically. Pikachu are insectivores, although their ancestors supplemented their diet with small fish and birds. Marill, however, are completely herbivorous, a shift so dramatic it has caused some to wonder whether Marill is merely a case of convergent evolution.

But evolution can work quickly in desperate times, for the ocean in which Marill were born was made so barren by the cold that there were no fish or Surskit left to eat, only seaweed. Although their ancestors vanished with their island home, the Marill, changed enormously, survived.


	184. Azumarill

For most of Japanese history, the region now known as Kanto was referred to as Azuma, after its population of Azumarill. This name came about because Azumarill bubbles were one of the region's most valuable exports, and also because with the rare Electabuzz their only natural predator in the area, their population exploded until they became as common as Tentacool and Tentacruel are today.

In the late Sengoku era, a lord who relied on misdirection through bubbles and powerful water attacks recruited whole battalions of Azumarill into his military to make use of his new tactic, depopulating the wilderness. He was victorious in battle after battle until becoming shogun in fact if not in name, and with his new conquest came endless castles to garrison. Azumarill were posted from castle to castle as garrisons, the bulk of his army coming with him when he moved to the capital in Ecruteak City. In time, as power corrupts, this lord became a tyrant who so feared rebellion that he forced all wild Azumarill into his army, believing that he could only be beaten by his own strategy. He especially feared rebellion from his own homeland, which was stripped bare of wild and trained Azumarill alike (except his own) and renamed to Kanto. And it was all for nothing, for when he died, no others could emulate his strategy, yet his successors maintained the policy out of terror for centuries.

The Azumarill garrisons were set free by lords who did not know how to use them; some populations took to the sea or died out, but the descendants of others survived to the present. Yet Azumarill, despite their ban, have not been forgotten in Kanto; they continue to appear in many hit television shows from the region such as Azumarill Daioh even today.


	185. Sudowoodo

Today, Sudowoodo are viewed as a sad little pokemon which wishes to be a tree, when they are remembered at all. Back when forests were not scattered wildlife preserves or homes for weak bug pokemon, but a fearsome symbol of nature's power, Sudowoodo, like Sawsbuck, were seen as a sort of forest spirit which protected the trees by concealing themselves like Voltorb or ninjas within their midst. Whether building vast walls of rocks to fight forest fires or shooing away large flying-types such as Charizard who rip entire trees from the ground to eat them, Sudowoodo fought tirelessly to defend every tree they could save.

The Sudowoodo of this era gave the impression of tall trees, for Sudowoodo grow as slowly as trees do, and the small, shrub-like Sudowoodo so often seen by trainers are saplings compared to those which still stand, undetected, in many forests today. They are unable to offer meaningful resistance against the timber and paper industries, and content themselves by breaking chainsaws and axes with their body whenever an unfortunate logger mistakes them for a tree, then run away to blend back into the forest and damage more equipment another day.

Sudowoodo stone is itself a building material far more valuable than timber, one typically seen only in royal palaces and aristocratic estates. It is valuable not because of its rarity, but because the only way to harvest an old-growth Sudowoodo is to threaten its home with overwhelming force (typically a whole army) and promise to spare the forest at the cost of its own life. These promises are usually kept, for when they are not, the other Sudowoodo of the forest exact an enormous price for this betrayal, and the palace walls themselves often mysteriously cave in.


	186. Politoed

They have no crown on their head, just a curled hair; no claim to the throne, save for a rock which is called magical because pokemon flinch when it is thrown at them. And yet to their followers, Politoed might as well be sitting on the Chrysanthemum Throne and ruling a vast empire.

Politoed maintain power in the way which most monarchies do; by brainwashing their subjects. Absent a friendly clergy preaching the Divine Right of Kings, or an appeal to the glory of the nation, Politoed brainwash their subjects the old-fashioned way: through hypnosis. The hair on their head contains the same pattern as the spirals of their lesser forms, and along with a small swirl on their chest, allow for a far more complete hypnosis than that of their predecessors. Poliwhirl can put a hostile foe to sleep, but only Politoed can put dozens to sleep at once, then form them into regiments and lead a shambling mass of pokemon into sleepwalking battle. Their battles are futile, over small and unneeded scraps of land, and show little purpose but to provide glory for kings, like a cosmic game of Civilization played with pokemon. Yet unlike kings, they are content to quit the field when the enemy pokemon faints, and if the territory is worthless it is because they rarely plunder and exploit what they win.

Because of their abundance in France and the fact that they claim kingship, Politoed were long seen as a symbol of pre-Revolutionary France. Every negative quality Politoed possess was ascribed to the king in propaganda pamphlets, and every positive quality was wiped from scientific journals of the era. Many Politoed lost their heads during the Terror, despite their short necks, and France's national pokemon was switched to the Poliwrath.


	187. Hoppip

Hoppip are typically seen as a pokemon which drift on the wind without a care in the world, allowing it to take them wherever it may. The truth is not so kind; Hoppip drift because they have no choice, being too light to resist or even to steer themselves, and far too often meet with an early grave when blown out to sea. And although Hoppip may lack the roots of other grass pokemon, they form families and befriend one another and develop metaphorical attachments all the same, only to lose everything to a strong breeze or gale.

There are two ways for Hoppip to resist the terrifying pull of the wind. The first is through evolution, for Skiploom and Jumpfluff are more able to steer themselves, more able to ride currents instead of being tossed by them. Hoppip, however, are not powerful pokemon, and evolution must come after a long journey. The second is called combination, or also the Hoppip cloud. In order to avoid being blown away, groups of Hoppip cluster by linking leaves together, and are able to slow what would otherwise be a long and devastating journey. The wind still picks them up, however, and the vast, slowly steered cloud breaks through power lines and tree branches, only stopping when it collides with a building, tree, or other object large enough to stop them. At this point, the Hoppip cloud disperses in chaos, often breaking windows or clogging up air vents, or at times simply hitting people in the face.

Although the damage they cause is more mild annoyance than natural disaster, many Hoppip still refuse to join these clouds. This is an excuse, however, for there are always those who will make any argument to avoid being tied down too closely to the boring and familiar.


	188. Skiploom

It is said that Skiploom were given their names because no matter where they go, they will soon skip town for the next one looming over the horizon. This is more poetry than etymology: many words are derived from pokemon names, but "skip" and "loom" (at least in this sense) are not among them. What this phrase communicates is a different truth, for Skiploom are known for their wanderlust.

Unlike Hoppip, who detest being blown by the wind. and form Hoppip clouds to bring their home with them wherever they go, Skiploom are seldom seen with any others of their kind, and never for too long. Although their increased weight allows for more resistance than the tiny Hoppip, if a Skiploom does try to alter its path it is only to avoid going where it has been before. Some say they are drawn by strange cultures and different ways, others only by the local flora and fauna, and others say we are simply anthropomorphizing a carefree plant who is more interested in maximum sunlight than travel, and insist that further study will find a pattern to the migration of Skiploom.

It is telling that when humans weave stories of wandering, they set it in space or somewhere else different enough to replace reality with a strange, fascinating, and divided sort of world. Skiploom, however, wander endlessly in the present, never losing interest in the journey. Perhaps this is because, like many other intermediate stages, Skiploom see this phase as a time to discard old bonds and find their desired place in the world, for Jumpluff lay down leech seeds and seldom wander. Or perhaps it is simply that getting there is never as exciting as the journey.


	189. Jumpluff

Jumpluff have long been referred to as the 89th constellation, or the sixth visible planet, for against the canvas of the night, a Jumpluff riding high on the wind can be easily mistaken for three stars drifting across the sky. The comparison is an apt one. True, Jumpluff do not move with the rotation of the Earth, but nor are they blown aimlessly like Hoppip; they migrate, spreading their spores far and wide until, like the sailors of the Age of Discovery, they use the seasonal winds to bring them home.

Jumpluff, because of their resemblance to stars, have become a pokemon rich in tradition and superstition. For instance, there are many countries even today where people do not wish on shooting stars, but cover their nose and mouth and scan the ground for seeds. Furthermore, it is said that night comes when three stars appear in the sky, and in ancient times this was used to mark when one day ended and the next begun. This number is deliberately chosen; one or two could be a mistake, but a cloudy night would mean a never-ending day. Three is the number precisely because Jumpluff have three cotton puffs, and when the sky darkens enough that a Jumpluff can be mistaken for stars, night has fallen even if no true stars have appeared. And it is said that when a festival night passes and only three stars appear, the person who spotted them will find a baby Hoppip the next day.


	190. Aipom

It is said that whenever we play catch, we are playing a game older than humanity, a game which dates to when our ancestors lived in trees. Others disagree, citing the many fundamental differences between Aipom catch and our own game. For instance, Aipom catch is typically played not with the hands, but with the tail; the hands being used more often to hold onto branches although occasionally lifted to catch a low throw. Aipom catch resembles dodgeball as much as catch, as the items thrown are not Flaaffyballs, but iron balls, king's rocks, and other heavy objects which can send an Aipom plunging to the ground.

The rules of the game are as follows: Players start on opposite trees at equal height. One Aipom throws the ball or rock at the opponent, who attempts to catch it. If they miss, the opponent is allowed to continue making throws until one is caught. Because the game is played in trees, multiple items are typically collected for use in this game, although some games require any Aipom who misses to retrieve the item and make a gentle toss back to the opponent. When a catch is made, play reverses, with the other Aipom being given the chance to throw until it is caught. The object of the game is not to make an easily caught throw, but to hit the opponent with one sufficiently fast enough to knock the other Aipom out of the tree. Players are allowed to grab onto branches when falling, but may not climb back up; whatever branch they land on is their perch until knocked down lower.

The first Aipom to hit the ground loses, and the other will do a victory dance to celebrate their triumph; the fun, however, is in simply playing the game.


	191. Sunkern

It is said that long ago, back when Arceus (or in some versions Mew) was creating the pokemon, the first Sunkern, then among the greatest of the grass pokemon, petitioned Arceus to make his type stronger, for grass pokemon went hungry, being preyed upon often and having only rocks and soil to eat. Arceus disagreed, saying that he had balanced every type except for poison (which was to make up for in guile and subterfuge what they lacked in raw power) in his divine wisdom, and that grass had more advantages than weaknesses.

Sunkern, outraged by Arceus' refusal, gathered a large group of grass-type pokemon to steal away the sun. The fire-types and Groudon joined forces with Arceus to protect the sun, and Sunkern's point seemed proven by the overwhelming force of Grass's defeat. But while Virizion led the army of grass, Sunkern (now Sunflora) snuck past enemy lines and stole away a tiny and enormously bright piece of sunlight, while his comrades faced execution for treason against the gods.

Arceus, hurt, confused, and betrayed, put on a Meadow Plate and attempted to eat soil to determine how so many grass-types could turn on him, and at once he understood. The rebels were pardoned, and Arceus even allowed them to keep their piece of the sun, feigning ignorance of Sunkern's theft, which they used to learn Solarbeam and create chlorophyll to eat sunlight.

But Arceus could not forgive their leader, and Sunkern and his descendants were cursed to forever be the weakest of pokemon, without even the speed to escape which has kept many a Magikarp alive today. Yet he offered them one source of hope. Tiny pieces of the sun were buried around the world, and any Sunkern who seizes one evolves into a Sunflora and escapes Arceus' curse.


	192. Sunflora

The round, yellow, and oversized head of a Sunflora, has drawn many comparisons to the sun itself, especially because it is surrounded in golden petals which many have argued resemble the sun's rays. This resemblance exists not by some accidental convergence, nor because it presents a larger face to the sun, but because a Sunflora's head is little more than a case in which to contain a sun stone.

The sun stone typically lays dormant, and most of the pokemon's energy is obtained through photosynthesis. The stone is more like a battery than a generator, and it allows Sunflora the energy to battle hard at night or in the rain. But when a Sunflora is in danger, or enters a battle it is truly desperate to win, and their sun stone is of the right type (for many only make the Sunflora faster, like a water-type in the rain) its true power can be unleashed.

The body temperature of a Sunflora increases dramatically as the atoms within the Sun Stone undergo nuclear fusion. Their head glows like a miniature sun and spins rapidly as it shoots out Solarbeams so fast and piercing that many have said it was more like Arceus' grass-type judgment than the beams of even a Venusaur.

However, the Sun Stone's power comes with a cost. Not only is Sunflora's head often upside-down after it uses the power, but it exacts a heavy toll on the pokemon, which is often knocked out not by its foe, but by its own sun stone. After each battle, the Sunflora's head becomes a little smaller with it the Sun Stone it envelops. It is said that if the Sunflora uses up all the Sun Stone's energy, it will devolve into a Sunkern, a fate many consider worse than death.


	193. Yanma

It is a good thing that Yanma rarely live near humans, for their loud, high-pitched buzz makes them among the most troublesome of pokemon. Designed to disrupt the echolocation systems of the Zubat which Yanma prey upon in the wild, when a swarm passes a human settlement the buzz will breaks windows and shatter eardrums until driven away by an outraged, terrified, and often deaf crowd. A single Yanma is an annoying pest, or at times a beloved companion, but a swarm is a natural disaster. Apart from the military, which uses it to disrupt enemy radar, large concentrations of Yanma are unknown among humans, and strict regulations hamper effective breeding of and research into this fast and colorful pokemon. Indeed, even training a single Yanma is taboo where it is not outright illegal.

And this is an enormous shame, for properly trained Yanma can alter the frequency of their buzz. And when the pitch is controlled and made one suitable for large objects and human ears, a Yanma's beautiful song shines through. Many popular composers have used Yanma recordings in their symphonies for generations, although others refused on the grounds that it made it too easy to win fame.

It is said that there is a colony of Yanma deep in the Great Marsh who were exiled there ages ago after their trainer was executed for collecting such a dangerous pokemon. (Others have considered it a strange mutation, for how could a group of Yanma live so long?) Their mournful song is said to be the most beautiful tune in the world, but those who listen to it seldom manage or desire to return to tell the tale.


	194. Wooper

It is said that if one looks at a Wooper for long enough, that person will soon be infused with renewed purpose and a strong will to live. This is as much illustration as exaggeration, for there is something about a frolicking group of Wooper which brings people to contentment and inner peace.

Wooper are beloved not just for their cute faces, however, but also for their immense determination. They are known to drag drowning swimmers to the surface using only their mouths, for they lack arms to hold them. They painstakingly manipulate objects with their tails, using tools in the manner of Mankey or Oshawott despite lacking the limbs to do so effectively. And when in battle, although their grit alone rarely allows them victory, one must remember that opposing pokemon refuse to use moves such as Selfdestruct against them, for they too are inspired by Wooper to live for them to explode.

Rarer than even the golden Wooper, which is said to be the finest anti-depressant known to man, is a variant of the species known as a "Reverse Wooper". These Wooper are born with an upside-down mouth, and their pouting frown of a face fills people with such despair that many are driven to suicide instantly.


	195. Quagsire

It is said that while Bagon wish for wings, Wooper wish for arms, and through evolution both of these dreams have come true. A Quagsire's arms are not the most useful appendages - they are short, lack thumbs, and are as much flippers for swimming as tools for manipulating objects – but for Wooper used to using only their tail, they are more than enough.

It is commonly believed that Quagsire are so happy to have arms at long last that nothing can bring them sorrow. This is quite possibly a myth; Wooper themselves are far from being a sad pokemon.. But it is easy to see how this misconception developed, for Quagsire are a tough species of pokemon which shrug off being struck by lightning, fight their battles without a grimace when hit by all except grass attacks, and their mouth seems to be in a perpetual smile even wider than Wooper's.

The slime surrounding its body, not the arms, is believed by many researchers to be the cause of this happiness. Unlike Wooper's toxic film, Quagsire slime has long been a popular recreational drug and has recently been approved to treat depression. When overdosed on, it can have a negative effect on intelligence and cause the body to be slow to react to dangers, symptoms also seen in virtually all Quagsire. Quagsire do, however, become happier when given large objects to manipulate, and in the rare cases where their arms are lost in an accident, they seem to live in perpetual mourning, taking it harder than even pokemon which rely on their arms to attack.

Regardless of the reason, Quagsire smile even more than Wooper, for they are even happier.


	196. Espeon

The changing weather patterns are subject not only to many meteorological phenomena, but also the actions of countless pokemon from Hippopotas to the legendary Kyogre. More confusing still, the future as a whole is subject to billions of individuals who can alter it in countless tiny ways. And although some say gods and legends can foretell the future as easily as the past, it seems impossible that a mere evolution of Eevee could be capable of such perception.

And yet, unlike Xatu, consulted only in the narrow field of matters of state for Alph, an Espeon's fur grants them not only the power to predict the weather, but to foretell even the personal lives of people with surprising accuracy decades down the line. Indeed, so common is this belief that humans who can predict the future (or charlatans who claim this ability) are often called ESPers, a term which derives from Espeon.

An Espeon's future sight is a useful gift and a horrible curse. It is true that they can comfort some through knowledge of pleasant fates or improve their own life this way, and weather predictions make them prized among many. But it is also true that they must see in vivid detail the moment of their own deaths, and if they avoid one death a different one will surely show. Their ability to predict the weather is little better, for although rain and clear skies grow less perceptible as time goes on, an Espeon's fur shows them the moment billions of years away at which the sun boils the oceans even more clearly than it does tomorrow's storms.

There are very few people who realize that Espeon fur is not lavender, but bright green, for rare is the Espeon who allows their fur to grow at all.


	197. Umbreon

Travelers are often warned against going off alone on dark nights or staying in black rooms, lest the eerie glow of an Umbreon's eight rings be the last thing they ever see, despite the fact that Umbreon are not adept assassins. Although they can sneak around extraordinarily well, they lack a Scyther's claws or even a Weedle's sting; it will typically take several blows for an Umbreon to fell its opponent, unless the target is a human whose pokeballs are dislodged with a single swipe of the paw.

Umbreon may attack without killing in a single strike, like most pokemon which haunt our nightmares, but they do not need to. Invisible except for their rings in darkness, Umbreon are a sturdy pokemon which heal themselves and become even harder to see by stealing the light of the moon. They strike from every angle, their flickering rings the only giveaway to their presence, for they are as silent as they are dark. Trainers have famously described fighting them as like catching Beldum, for the task is equally difficult and requires perfect precision.

And most importantly, Umbreon understand the value of a tactical retreat and of picking one's battles, and although this has been made them ignored by many a trainer or killer, it has allowed them a far greater chance of survival. When faced with a real possibility of defeat, they slink back into the shadows and wait for an easier food source to come by, be it Kirlia, Kadabra, or Man.


	198. Murkrow

Although a variety of pokemon have been depicted in heraldry, none are quite so prolific as Murkrow. This is not the most obvious choice, for they are a cowardly race of birds which gathers in flocks to peck people and pokemon repeatedly and feast upon their eyes – quite far from a symbol of majesty or power! What Murkrow did represent was the ability of nations to rise to power through cloak-and-dagger schemes.

For one of these nations, it was a matter of personal preference turned into a national symbol. A great and terrible king had declared Murkrow his favorite of pokemon, mostly because he identified with their reputation and enjoyed blinding as a means of punishing his vanquished foes. For another, it represented their nation's roots as a group of thieves and brigands plundering shiny objects in the name of their god. And for the last, it was a two-headed Murkrow, which claimed to represent east and west, the two halves of their perpetually divided nation: in reality, a mutant Murkrow had a nest in their castle when they had gained independence from the Emperor so many years ago.

Inherited kingdoms and fabricated casus belli were the ways of empire in this age, and those who rose to the top in such a tumultuous world would inevitably be compared to Murkrow; cartoonists portrayed them as a flock of three when they acted together to partition a rival; even without the coincidences of history, the comparison was inevitable. As for the birds themselves, they flourished behind kings who, caring more for their symbols than their subjects, forbade them to be killed. Then came revolution, and the republic which followed the old empires slapped a Honchkrow on the flag to demonstrate the evolution of government.


	199. Slowking

The hard thing about battling a Slowking in the old days was not their own power – for they were never anything impressive – but the fact that pokemon must battle them without being able to count on their trainer. The psychic waves emitted by a Slowking disrupt the communication between pokemon and trainer, filling the pokemon's head with such confusion that they only hear half their trainer's commands. In some battles, this is no issue at all. With a few exceptions, pokemon are not stupid, and they know when to use super-effective or simply powerful techniques; it is with good reason that those who command pokemon are called trainers and not tacticians. They are not an invincible pokemon.

What Slowking are, and why the League banned them unless they wear a frequency-altering item, is an anti-strategy which can counter every strategy. Thunder Waves paralyze pokemon, but Slowking paralyze the trainers, and it is after all the trainers who make the rules. Yet it is hard not to side with the trainers. Pokemon battles of the Slowking era were as dull as the Slowpoke from which they evolve, a simple trading of attacks with none of the dramatic flair, clever techniques, or even tactical retreats which have made these battles beloved around the world. Double and triple battles were even worse, with multiple Slowking being used for a truly terrifying disruption; indeed, many trainers used a Slowking simply to counter other Slowking! Something had to change.

One must weep for the Slowking who were abandoned by their trainers after the ban, and only a few brave souls still use them with frequency limiters today. But one must also remember that banning Slowking not only saved the League; it saved the great game of pokemon battles.


	200. Misdreavus

When a necklace is stained with blood during a spurned lover's suicide or a murder, a Misdreavus is born. The only corporeal component of these ghost-type pokemon is a blood-red necklace at its center, and while sleeping or hiding they sink back into the necklace as though it were a pokeball. Initially, a Misdreavus haunt, play vicious pranks on, or even kill the person who either killed them or who they blame for their death, but such a revenge does not allow their spirit to move on.

Instead, Misdreavus forget what they loved in life and become addicted to causing pain and terror in others. Their happiness seems entirely a thing of the past, and they only remember that they were happy when alive, not what it felt like to be happy. This fact creates a deep envy in them and causes them to torment others all the more, for the closest thing they feel to happiness or vitality is schadenfreude. Whether yanking people's hair, floating above them in their dreams, or making them lose their balance on staircases and steep hills with their haunting cry, they are a vicious pokemon which make even Haunter seem friendly, and for many people the sight of a Misdreavus is even scarier than their actual pranks.

It takes a skilled trainer to tame a Misdreavus, to put up with their haunting trickery long enough to to make them remember that there is more to life than suffering. But when they do, they are rewarded with a wonderful friend and a pokemon with the potential to achieve an amazing power.


	201. Unown

An Unown's Hidden Power, despite the mystique of millennia and many a theory, is nothing more than language. Alone an Unown is futile, a stray letter drifting in the breeze, but it is able to join with other pokemon in a myriad of different ways, giving each a different power. They are most powerful combined with other Unown: a team of one Unown I, one K, and two L's can produce an attack which slays most foes in a single hit. In large circles the size of an alphabet or two, they form word after word, shifting with a fascinating array of tactics requiring the creativity of a Scrabble champion to use effectively. And most importantly, they can communicate over distances not through saying their name or charades, but as easily as humans use neon billboards and the spoken word.

Indeed, it is primarily from Unown that human language developed. The power words of an Unown's attacks and their combinations with existing pokemon provide the building blocks of our language. Consider the term "ghastly", developed to describe Unown H combined with Gastly, an eerie mix which make regular Gastly seem harmless. And although words also came from the need to describe new concepts, and many others originated from the names spoken by other pokemon, one must only recall the Unown techniques of "THE" for targeting and "AND" for summoning teammates to remember how strongly the Unown grip the roots of our speech. After all, every form of writing known to man has developed from either pictographs or stylized representation of the Unown.

Some have sought to tap into the Unown's power in order to conquer the world. These people are called writers, and they have already done so a thousand times over.


	202. Wobbuffet

It is typically believed that Wobbuffet live in caves to hide their tails, a source of embarrassment, from other pokemon and trainers. In reality, the reverse is true: Wobbuffet live in caves in the faint hope of hiding other pokemon from their tails.

Wobbuffet were initially a truly pacifist species, but this left them little more than punching bags, so in the rough and tumble world of pokemon they were forced to develop Counter and Mirror Coat for self-defense. Indeed, even these techniques Wobbuffet use only reluctantly, and they feel guilt whenever they knock out another pokemon. But their tails, symbiotic spirits which absorb a Wobbuffet's pain, burned for revenge on all living things. It is these tails which developed Shadow Tag, forcing pokemon into battle with a Wobbuffet only wants peace. It is these tails which learned Destiny Bond, slaying those unfortunate pokemon slower than Wobbuffet who still manage to slay one. And it was these tails which caused Wobbuffet to retreat into darkness, hiding from foes and hoping passersby can sneak past their tails unseen.

Most pokemon trapped by a rebellious body part would rip their tails off and endure the wound, but reclaim their freedom. Dugtrio and Magneton, after all, live in harmony, and it is sadly common to see a one-headed Dodrio walking around after a three-headed fight to the death. Wobbuffet possess this power as well, although they must use a great deal of psychic power to rip their tails off, for their arms are incapable of performing this task. They refuse for the same reason they refuse to attack with techniques such as Psychic: because they can not live with hurting anyone else save for in self-defense, even if it would save many others.

Even if it would save themselves.


	203. Girafarig

In many religions and philosophical schools of the pokemon world, Girafarig are seen as a symbol of harmony, and it is not hard to see why. In many ways, they seem like two completely different pokemon fused together, unlike most pokemon with multiple heads which at least look like they belong on similar bodies. The front head of a Girafarig is a normal-type head, yellow, herbivorous, and says Giraf. The back head is a psychic-type head, brown, insectivorous, and says Farig. Even their shape is different; it is not so much that the heads are opposites as much as they seem to simply be grafted onto one another.

Yet their shared body, with its twin long necks and a reversing color scheme, makes this grafting feel as natural as electric-types being yellow. Even more remarkably, the front and back heads of a Girafarig never seem to conflict, despite having so little in common. They share control of their legs, each half controlling one pair, the front usually in control, but always following the back head's lead when the back legs move first. This trust enables them to use their 360-degree vision to dodge attacks with ease or even be used as cavalry forces when one is suspecting an ambush.

Much has been made by theologians of the resemblance between Sinnoh's dragon trio and Girafarig, although most laypeople believe it to be a coincidence made into a theory by the hand of the church and boosted traditional conceptions of time and space. But their long tails and long necks do recall Girafarig's two heads, and for many the names Giratina and Giraf are simply too close for comfort.


	204. Pineco

Although a Pineco's life is long by the standards of bug pokemon, like human life it is finite. Pineco live most of their lives hanging on or bouncing across trees, growing larger, until they can no longer hold on, drop to the ground, and explode to their deaths. Pineco are remarkable, however, in that they can escape death through evolution, for the mechanized body of a Forretress does not age and can survive many blows, even its own explosion, and can only be slain through fire.

Pineco are even more remarkable in that, although many grow powerful enough to have the opportunity to evolve and live forever, they are sharply divided on whether to actually do so. For Pineco, evolution is an enormous dilemma fraught with indecision. Forretress are a species of great procrastinators, robbed of any urgency in life by the fact of an eternal tomorrow, and they waste away in hedonistic, often vicious pleasures like laying spikes in the forest and making other pokemon walk across them while they shoot gyro balls at them. Nor does refusing to evolve mean immediate death, and when at death's door, it is often too late for evolution.

Whichever decision a Pineco makes, it is often fraught with regret. The forests where Pineco grow do not burn easily, and many Forretress, unable to simply explode, go on long journeys in search of fire. And although the dead can not voice their regret, the old, weak, and dying often wish for evolution in sheer terror at the thought of their life's end.


	205. Forretress

Deep in the Ilex Forest sit four long walls of Forretress arranged as an open box, stacked upon each other like a reef of Corsola. Although they are calm enough that tourists can walk straight up to these walls, they remain fierce guardians who relentlessly protect the integrity of their wall and whatever lies within. Those who tried Electrode found another wall behind the first one, those who tried fire found each Forretress equipped with Occa berries; all of them ran for their lives.

The Forretress are normally silent, but when an aggressor approaches, they speak in unison words understood by other pokemon as meaning "You shall not pass." Attempts to gain information from them have proven fruitless, save for one exception: when asked why they guard the walls, they answer that it is a "contract with master." Who this master is, or what they are guarding, is left unanswered and unknown.

Therefore, there are no reliable reports of what lies within the Forretress walls. The difficulty of flight within and thick canopy of the forest has made aerial observance impossible, especially as low-flying observers are within range of the Forretress' Gyro Balls. None have breached the wall in recorded history. And so mythology has filled the gap, although the myths do not agree. Some say that what they guard is a strange land where Celebi sleeps forever, even while simultaneously awake and messing with continuity elsewhere in a time travel paradox. Others say they guard the gate to hell, yet it is different to imagine any hell worse than an eternity as part of an unmoving wall, never speaking with your own voice. One can only wonder about their contract, and what it gave the Forretress to make it worth it to stay in this wall forever.


	206. Dunsparce

The small white wings of a Dunsparce, which let it float a couple feet off the ground with great effort, were once thought to be vestigial. The fossil record has proven this not to be the case; their ancestors were in fact wingless creatures bearing a modest resemblance to Ekans and Arbok. Instead, it is a matter of nutrition. The production of Dunsparce wings requires a protein found only in small quantities in modern pokemon, all of them quite large and rare. In prehistory, Dunsparce hunted these creatures with a paralyzing glare, then feasted on a limb before they recovered, alive but crippled, but the surviving Johto megafauna are either too fast or have too tough skin for Dunsparce to hunt them successfully.

It is greatly fortunate for Dunsparce that their glorious, many-colored feathers has often seen them mistaken for gods – a Palkia in miniature, a serpentine Ho-oh. Their beauty and power were so great, or perhaps their glare so fearsome, that rituals of animal and at times even human sacrifice developed out of a need to feed these Dunsparce, who became seen as defenders of their communities and of the universe itself – a custom which continued in many other faiths for generations.

When the feathered serpent cult declined, so did the glorious Dunsparce of old. Modern Dunsparce, with their small, white wings and pathetic fighting prowess, are larvae. The depictions of old Dunsparce in art, a pokemon species unknown in modern times, baffled archaeologists and paleontologists alike until a few years ago. A rogue Team Rocket member was recently found with a large-winged Dunsparce in her hideout along with a pyramid of human skulls.


	207. Gligar

When rain pours from the clouds and lightning fills the sky, most flying-type pokemon search desperately for cover, hiding from the vast packs of electric types it brings as much as from the actual storm. And then there is Gligar, who do not hide, but swarm. Many have speculated as to why they are immune to electricity; some have suggested that they are not flying-types at all, because they merely glide through the air. Yet their gliding is more flight than levitation, and their reaction to other types leaves no doubt. They are both flying and ground, a fact which made the phrase "Gligar's type" a synonym for a paradox.

And it is this paradox which has allowed them to be nicknamed "Tornadus' revenge." When thunderclouds gather in the air, Gligar climb the tallest tree around: some desert Gligar even take advantage of their excellent hearing to climb cacti and travel long distances to the storm. When the rain comes, so do the Gligar, who search for other flying pokemon who can not locate cover and follow them until they find their prey; electric-type avivores such as Shinx and Pikachu. When they have found such creatures, they circle around the pack from a few feet over the ground, firing poison stings and felling them one by one, until their number is sufficiently reduced to finish them off with an earthquake.

This is not type solidarity, of course, but the law of the jungle. Gligar protect other fliers incidentally; their purpose is to use them as bait. But the sight of a Gligar fighting off a pack of small electric pokemon singlehandedly while a Pidgey or Hoothoot escapes leaves a powerful impression on many bird keepers, who capture one themselves to protect their own pokemon from thundershocks and thunderbolts.


	208. Steelix

If the domestication of Oddish and Miltank created civilization, the domestication of Steelix created empires. Wars in the Bronze Age, before pokeballs and most domestic pokemon, were fought with weapons: spears, shields, javelins, and chariots pulled by Ponyta. For a time crawling behind trained Onix was a common tactic to avoid ranged attacks, similar to more recent modes of trench warfare. Onix, however, could not move easily in the grasslands and flood plains where many wars were fought, and their thin joints rendered them vulnerable targets, so their effectiveness was limited; they could not protect many men, and the valuable Onix were themselves often slain.

And then came the Iron Age, which is often dated not from the use of iron tools, but from the application of metal coats to Onix, creating the first Steelix. Larger, stronger, and most importantly, sturdier than their predecessors, not only could a hundred men advance behind them (if the old historians are to be believed), but they could break a chariot with a single thrash of their tail, and spears bounced off them like thrown rocks. Armies declined and became abandoned outright for a time, for the only thing which could beat a Steelix was another Steelix, and a community's military power became based on access to Onix caves and iron.

Thus human battles were replaced by pokemon battles. Centuries later, great upheavals occurred as the first grass and water pokemon were domesticated and a tactical revolution swept the world. Steelix, despite their strong physical defenses, were slain in war and abandoned in peace. The modern population of Steelix descends not from the Steelix champions of the Iron Age, but from wild Onix fashioning coats of their own from scrap metal to protect themselves from predators; ancient Steelix are known only from ruins.


	209. Snubbull

Although the art of Growlithe breeding is an ancient one, few breeds survive to the present day, and fewer still have diverged so much from their ancestors that they speak a name other than Growlithe. Among these are Snubbull (and its evolution of Granbull), a breed developed by desert tribesmen to get around religious prohibitions regarding the training of Growlithe, prohibitions which likely had their origin as much in the increased dangers of heat stroke involved in training Growlithe or other fire-types in that climate as from any divine order.

Unable to use fire, Snubbull instead developed a large and terrifying face in an effort to scare off its foes. It is not powerful in combat, but need not be, for they rarely fight alone. Throughout most of history they have been used to protect women, children, and the elderly while the men were off scouting; their four large ears and loud bark allowed them to alert the men from miles away and give them enough time to return. Snubbull are not cruel pokemon - in modern times, they are often found taking care of the disabled – but most pokemon and men fear them all the same, much to their dismay. To women, however, they might as well be Clefairy, and are kept as their pets as often as Pikachu.

There are many similarities between the fairy pokemon and Snubbull, such as their distinctive pink color. Snubbull are considered a "chain species" for their ability to breed with multiple egg groups, and many have suspected that modern Snubbull are the result of a Growlithe breeding with a Clefairy who passed down more than just their attacks. Some have dismissed this as impossible, while others considered it evidence of just how little we understand about pokemon genetics.


	210. Granbull

Before the invention of the pokeball, there were many different tools used for controlling domestic pokemon, none more ubiquitous than the collar and manacles. Initially used on ferocious, untamed pokemon such as the Granbull of that age, their ease of use and effectiveness saw them extended bit by bit to nearly all pokemon they could be fit around, and eventually even to human slaves. Their impact on the psyche was much like that of a pokeball, but where a pokeball produces loyalty, the collars produced only docility and a broken spirit. It was this age from which Team Plasma took their inspiration; had they been founded in those ancient and brutal days, they might actually have had a point.

The collars of modern Granbull are a legacy of that awful era. Early Granbull evolved from Snubbull who either neglected their responsibilities in order to pick fights from wild pokemon, or from Snubbull who accompanied their trainers on the hunt; both types were too proud to be treated as a mere domestic pokemon. And so they were shackled, and manacled, with stronger shackles each generation, removed less and less often as they rebelled and time went by. And in some twisted, Lamarckian nightmare, they began to evolve not into proud beasts, but into slaves who can never be freed, for their binds have become part of their body.

It is not needed to weep for modern Granbull, for the collar is lighter every generation since they have gained the half-freedom of the pokeball. They have always had the strength to battle through their bonds, although they can not simply drop the weights like so many heroes of martial arts anime. But until the day comes where their bodies are free, we are right to remember the cruelty of our ancestors.


	211. Qwilfish

In the ocean which serves as the habitat for most Qwilfish, they are an enormously fragile pokemon. Their dense hide requires them to contain an enormous amount of air inside their body just to float, and a single puncture wound beneath the surface can send them tumbling to the bottom of the sea as water replaces air, where they are crushed to death by the water pressure. In addition to poisoning their prey, Qwilfish also use their spikes to pop one another to reduce competition for food: it is a common sight in deep waters to see two of them bobbing up and down while ramming another in the hopes of deflating the other before being popped themselves.

There is only one method for a Qwilfish to defend itself from obstacles, and paradoxically, that is to knock itself unconscious with an Explosion. Although the attack will not be used on other Qwilfish, for even if successful it will only knock them out, wild Qwilfish have been known to use it against everything from boats to Gyarados as a last resort. Trained Qwilfish have even been pressed into service as naval mines for this reason, but this is not commonly done, for Qwilfish require a great deal of training not to attack one another on sight.

On land, where most trained Qwilfish battle, their lower spikes instead act as something similar to legs, allowing them to walk with surprising mobility. Indeed, between this and their ability to survive being popped, many wonder why they remain in the water at all; perhaps it is simply that they enjoy the ocean too much to leave except in a pokeball.


	212. Scizor

At the north end of the Safari Zone is a long, winding path marked on maps as the Road of a Hundred Scizor, which terminates in the hideout of the ninjas who rule Fuchsia City, a secret capitol where issues of war and governance and nefarious deeds are determined. The road is aptly named, for any who travel on it are chased away by what seem like a hundred Scizor, although to be fair most are too busy running away to count them. At times, they have chased away whole armies, and even great heroes fear and avoid this road, for a Scizor's claws are sharp enough to cut the threads of fate.

In reality, there are nowhere near a hundred Scizor guarding this road, nor even in all of Fuchsia City. If there were that many, Scizor would be reported frequently in the foreign wars and internecine strife which makes up so much of that city's history, and Fuchsia would import massive amounts of the rare metals which make up a Scizor's coat in order to maintain such a large population. Most researchers believe there to be at most six Scizor protecting that road, and maybe even as few as one.

Why, then, have eyewitnesses reported massive swarms? Fuchsia pokemon are masters of illusion and Scizor skilled users of double team, and their bullet punches strike with such speed that it is impossible to identify the direction of the user, and difficult to even see the punch. Fighting one Scizor seems as difficult as fighting one hundred, and this holds as true in the Indigo Plateau as in Fuchsia City. This is especially true if one neglects or forgets their one weakness, for the only reliable way to defeat a Scizor is to set it on fire.


	213. Shuckle

In the early days of Pokemon contests, before there were Poffins and Pokeblocks, berries were turned into appeal-enhancing items through the use of live Shuckle. Shuckle are a pokemon which naturally cause berries to turn into a juice which has its own beneficial effects when prepared properly. In pokemon and humans alike, it restores health and cures illness, and further fermentation allows it to be turned into a hard cider which has replaced beer and wine on Cinnabar Island.

This process took far too long for most coordinators, who instead used the hole on a Shuckle's back to stir a mix of berries with a stylus while swinging the pokemon around until it became dizzy; dizziness signified that the Shuckleberry was completed. Although Shuckle are more than sturdy enough not to be harmed by this technique, many find it so annoying that they hide under rocks whenever a coordinator, or indeed a trainer (for they can not tell them apart) passes by.

Competition between cider brewers and coordinators combined to virtually wipe out the wild population of Shuckle, a problem compounded as increasing shortages changed the process from one of using wild Shuckle to one of capture to secure one for future usage. In time, the brewers won out, and other methods were developed to allow contest pokemon to make use of berries. But among a select few coordinators on Cinnabar, the ancient art of Shuckleberries continues, using Shuckle passed down as heirlooms for generations.


	214. Heracross

In war, a Heracross horn can serve as a catapult or a battering ram; indeed, both weapons were invented to free up powerful Heracross for hand-to-hand combat. In the popular sport of Goal Roll, it has made them great scorers, a fact true of many other sports throughout the ages. And in pokemon battles, it allows them to use Megahorn, an astonishingly powerful bug attack which knocks out countless pokemon in a single strike, especially psychics, grass types, and the forces of darkness.

It is for the latter reason that when a Heracross dies its horn is typically removed and used as a totem to protect the holder from evil. The horns themselves are fairly large, but are lightweight enough to allow Heracross to swing them around and humans to lift them without difficulty. Their carrying case must be clear, however: a hidden horn is no protection to anyone. Their power is partially explained by the fact that dark-type pokemon fear not Heracross but their horns, for a hornless Heracross is nothing but easy prey, yet most accounts suggest it defends against bad luck and villainous humans just as well as from dark-type pokemon, and an enormous body of evidence suggests this is no mere superstition.

Although it protects the holder from evil, however, it often simply trades one type of foe for another. To large flying pokemon such as Pidgeotto and Fearow, a Heracross horn is not frightening, but delicious, and these birds are often found mobbing those who rely on them for luck. It is not wise to seek a Heracross horn for protection unless one is prepared to defend it from flying pokemon, but many Bug Catchers who outlive their Heracross do so to honor their memories and maintain a piece of their power all the same.


	215. Sneasel

It is said that whenever you see a Sneasel, black ice is not far behind. This is not entirely true – black ice forms naturally on pavement – but Sneasel and Weavile, being both dark and ice types, can spray it as well, and Sneasel in particular are quite fond of doing so. Although this technique probably originated as a way for packs of Sneasel to hunt large pokemon such as Stantler and Meganium, in this era it is done more often as a prank against humans, its only purpose a Sneasel's own amusement.

Less well-documented, but nearly as widely believed, is their association with heartbreak. Terms like "black-hearted" and "cold" are often used to describe people after a breakup, but it is not as though Sneasel harden hearts in the way which Luvdisc warm them. In all likelihood, this has its roots in an ancient tradition, where a man who wished to divorce his wife must first seek out and catch a Sneasel to present it to her. (Women, in this era, had no such rights.) This was intended both as a test of the man's sincerity and as compensation for the divorced woman: Sneasel are rare and hard to catch, fiercely protective of their trainers, and skilled thieves capable of stealing enough for a single mother to get by. This tradition died out centuries ago, more from the convenience of men and the increasing rarity of Sneasel than from any newfound egalitarianism. This tradition is dead, but remains in our historical memory; Sneasel trainers are still thought of as unreliable lovers, and women often weep at the sight of a newly-caught Sneasel.

As for them bringing bad luck, that is probably a combination of these two stories, warped and simplified by centuries of forgetfulness.


	216. Teddiursa

Although Beedrill and Vespiquen honey is harmless, one must be careful when eating honey, for the honey concocted by Teddiursa contains a powerful spell. In small quantities, it only means extra body hair and a somewhat plush-like appearance, but if too much is eaten, one must be careful not to go outside on the night of the crescent moon, lest they turn into a Teddiursa.

Parents have often warned their children of the dangers of eating too much honey, but the children seldom listen; surrounded by Teddiursa toys and obsessed with pokemon training, it encourages them as often as it discourages them. Nor is a Teddiursa's life a harsh one; it is spent climbing trees and making and eating honey, and the paw over their face hides a smile. Most Teddiursa continue to live in their old homes, their horrified and loving parents pretend they had captured these pokemon, and that their children had run away. Others whose families are not so kind flee for the forest and for the most part live peaceful lives, but must dodge avian predators such as Fearow and find shelter to hibernate in during the winter.

It is not only children who choose to become Teddiursa, nor who change into it by accident. Many an adult can find grave sorrow even in this world of pokemon training, and choose to start over as a pokemon, or simply have a sweet tooth and eat the wrong honey. They are distinguished from younger Teddiursa only in that the crescent moon on their chest is far less open and more circular, a sign of the pokemon's experience: when it closes completely, they evolve into Ursaring.


	217. Ursaring

It is said that when an Ursaring hibernates for the winter, they can do so in broad daylight, for no pokemon or trainer will dare disturb them. If they do, the Ursaring typically recieves a nice meal and goes back to sleep. It is notable that this story refers to sleeping Ursaring; awake, they are even scarier.

Ursaring are a pokemon which climb trees, walk on their hind legs, and are intelligent enough to open doors: they decline to do so, however, because it is far easier to just break them down. Paralysis, burns, and poisons work as defenses against many pokemon, but Ursaring simply get stronger when such techniques are used against them, and angrier to boot. Nor do human weapons work easily against their thick hide, which repels most gunfire and is too thick to easily cut with a sword – as for pokemon, their sole weakness is fighting, and few fighting-types wish to face a bear of any type in hand-to-hand combat. Needless to say, there are very few ways to escape once one has made an Ursaring mad.

It is only their fierce, untamed nature which has kept them out off the battlefield in wartime; few pokemon trainers can command them, and far fewer officers. But there was once a great conqueror who relied on a force of armed bears (Ursaring and Beartic alike) and won war after war, as much from the terror they create as from their own power: it is amazing how many soldiers are willing to risk death, provided it does not come by being mauled and eaten. Theoretically, there are many ways to defeat an Ursaring: in practice, most people prefer to hand over any extra food and either play dead or run for their lives.


	218. Slugma

It is often imagined that if Slugma sleep somewhere away from the hot magma vents or the Earth's mantle, both of which many call home, they will harden into a petrified Slugma-shaped statue. This is not exactly the case; a Slugma will harden into rock, but will evolve in doing so, becoming a Magcargo. And yet Slugma resist this evolution with almost as much raw determination as most pokemon resist death – a likely source for this common misconception.

Slugma are probably the oldest pokemon known to science, an anaerobic relic of the Precambrian age. They have had only one significant change since that bygone era, one which allowed them to survive in the oxygen-laden atmosphere of the modern world: still, they prefer sulfur for respiration, and are therefore usually found in locations where sulfur is common enough to survive on. The reason their genome is so resistant to change is probably because of Slugma's own staunch conservatism - many refuse to mate with their shiny, gray counterparts, let alone other species in their egg group – and this fear of change applies equally well to an individual's evolution as to the species as a whole.

Or perhaps this explanation too is a red herring, and the true answer is a far simpler one. Magcargo, after all, burn hotter than the sun, and most larval Slugma, even with their enormous tolerance for heat (being made of magma themselves) have been accidentally scorched by their mothers soon after hatching, for Magcargo are prized as incubators. Although Magcargo themselves do not burn in the manner of Magmar, few Slugma realize this, and none wish, like a pyromaniac Midas, to make everything they touch turn to ashes.


	219. Magcargo

Wherever a Magcargo slithers, its trail of flames is not far behind. insanely hot body temperatures heat the ground up like a volcanic eruption, and their slow, legless method of locomotion leaves their own lava there long enough to sink into the ground, burning through the Earth's crust and creating a river of lava prone to bursting into flames.

This is one of the reasons that, despite their obvious power, many trainers decline to use Magcargo: even though they spend the vast majority of their time carried in pokeballs, few trainers wish to clean up after them after they are sent into battle. Water is often used to combat fire, but against this heat it will simply evaporate; instead, one must wait hours for the trail to begin to cool, then cover it with enough rocks and dirt to stop its flow. It is not an accident that Blaine of Cinnabar Island, their most notorious trainer, holds his battles inside an active volcano where his Magcargo will simply be another source of magma.

Ironically enough, Magcargo were once prized for this very ability. Moats were usually made of water, but wealthy lords or those living on volcanic islands often preferred Magcargo lava as a defensive material, for water is not nearly as terrifying. Although few ever were so daring as to lay siege to such castles, they contained large food stockpiles all the same. This was because at times the Magcargo flames would burn away the bridge connecting the castle to the outside world, leaving the people there isolated for months until the moat began to cool.


	220. Swinub

A Swinub's method of locomotion bears little in common with that of its evolutions, or indeed to any other pokemon known to science. Swinub have short legs, and can move slowly with them when stranded, but like a Persian's claws they are retractable and more often than not retracted. In the wild, Swinub move like trainers through the puzzles of Johto's Ice Path, sliding across ice from boulder to boulder.

A Swinub's nose is best known for its excellent sense of smell, and it indeed uses this nose to sniff for small bug and water-type pokemon which hide under snow and ice. But the strength of a Swinub's nose is equally remarkable: it is this nose, not its weak front legs, which it uses to push off boulders to begin its slide. Likewise, Swinub plunge their noses into the ground, often punching through ice, when one needs to stop and there is no rock large enough nearby.

Sadly, most Swinub today travel inside pokeballs, leaving them only to walk and battle very slowly on short, stubby legs. They are owned by trainers who carry them far from the majestic snows they call home and they use their noses only to sniff for treasure.


	221. Piloswine

It is the deserts of the arctic, a land too cold for any rain to fall except during the rarest intervals, which most wild Piloswine call home. Their fur, probably the warmest and thickest in the entire pokemon world, protects them from temperatures cold enough to make other ice types shiver and flee for warmth; in temperate climates, special care must be used to prevent them from overheating. (A fact which has proven dangerous at times, as many people hunt Piloswine for their fur to get through cold, northern winters. This, however, is of little concern for most Piloswine, who live further north than any significant human settlements.) The hump on their back resembles the twin humps of a Camerupt, despite the lack of volcanoes, it contains Piloswine's food and water supply, along with ice for many of its attacks.

Unlike Swinub, who can only break through the surface with their strong noses, Piloswine are skilled diggers who use their shovel tusks to tunnel under cavernous walls of ice and snow in search of eggs and smaller burrowing ice-types such as Snover. Their digging is so fast and powerful that icebergs are known to form when a Piloswine inadvertently burrows too far and cracks the polar icecap itself, a fact which was believed to be a sailor's tall tale until recently confirmed by satellite imagery.

In this phase of evolution, wild Piloswine rarely venture even into subarctic zones, although the few who evolve into Mamoswine often migrate south for vegetation. However, isolated populations have been found in Johto caves, leading some to theorize that Piloswine got lost and tunneled not only under polar ice, but through the earth's crust, then searched beneath the ground until they could surface somewhere cold enough for them to survive.


	222. Corsola

Although wild Corsola have not yet been spotted in western Sinnoh's many poorly-mapped swamps and lakes, many have speculated that the difference in color between the two types of Shellos and Gastrodon is due to the presence of Corsola in the western group's diet. Crushed Corsola provide a pink dye which looks remarkably like a Gastrodon's color, but this does not explain the brown shell, a weakness in the theory which many consider fatal.

It is not completely impossible; pink dye from Corsola was traded as far north as Sinnoh in antiquity, and perhaps some live specimens were given to a king by a rogue trader – rogue, for the pink dye was a source of great wealth and the pokemon it came from became a closely guarded secret. If the ruler lived in Western Sinnoh, Mount Coronet would block their spread east and Corsola multiply quickly anywhere they can grow. Yet it must be remembered that virtually every pink pokemon from Clefairy to Mew has been theorized at one time or another to use Corsola dye in its skin, for Corsola have long been associated with beauty. And this is not a Milotic's beauty, but a beauty which, like its dye, can be seized by humans. Corsola, being part rock-type, are inedible for humans and most pokemon (interestingly, Gastrodon are among the few exceptions) but in every age, a few foolish beauty seekers have broken their teeth trying.

Even today some skin care products tout the benefits of their Corsola-based formulas, claiming to give your skin a beautiful pinkish hue. Were they made from _real_ Corsola, however, they would only cause massive itching. The dye does not create a soft and pleasant tint, but a bright pink which would make the unwitting user look more Mr. Mime than human.


	223. Remoraid

It is common on hot summer days to see children running around, spraying one another or wild Pidgey with jets of water from the mouths of toy Remoraid in the manner of a BubbleBeam attack, or a Hydro Pump on some of the newer versions. It is with good reason that, out of the countless pokemon which shoot water these toys are shaped like Remoraid, for wild Remoraid attached to Mantine act in a strikingly similar way.

Mantyke, a Mantine's infant, Remoraid-less form, are capable of using water attacks, but the attacks bear more resemblance to an altered current than to the attacks of most water pokemon. Once they evolve into Mantine, the attacks become blasts with more force than a hose, and are expelled not through their own mouth, but by the sharing of water between Mantine and their attached Remoraid. This allows Mantine to focus on manuevering in midair, while their Remoraid, shoot small birds such as Wingull out of the air with jets of water, or repel other Mantine from their territory. Once a Remoraid lands a successful strike, the Mantine feasts, and the Remoraid picks up the scraps.

In time, as they grow in skill and feast on more and more scraps, a Remoraid will grow too large for their attached Mantine to fly. When this happens, they will lay an egg on their host's wing, which hatches at a rapid pace into a new Remoraid. This is a traumatic experience for many Mantine, who lament the loss of their partner, ignore their new host, and start using physical moves such as Take Down and Wing Attack instead. The Remoraid soon evolve into Octillery and, lacking someone to take them flying, trade in their water attacks for powerful, blinding blasts of ink.


	224. Octillery

In retrospect, there were many telltale signs that Octillery were smarter than we realized. They learn psychic attacks and pick up rocks – tools, weapons - in order to hunt their prey, even in the so-called wild. With a human trainer, they are remarkably adaptable, and can learn even fire attacks with remarkable ease. The oddest thing about Professor Elm's recent discovery was not that the Octillery ink marks so often found in underwater caves were a form of writing, it was that it took so long for any of us (save a few presumed crackpots) to notice.

Human language is based to a large degree on the powers of the Unown and the vocalizations of countless wild pokemon, yet this has proven little use in deciphering the Octillery script, a strange array of ink which resembles no letters or symbols known to man. What we have learned from it is little; we do not know if they tell stories on cave walls and inside their burrows, keep records, or merely relay elaborate orders in astonishing detail. What little we do now know is that Octillery ink is not a naturally occurring substance, but one carefully crafted in small holes from undersea minerals, eaten, and spit out by Octillery to produce messages which other Octillery clearly comprehend. The rest is conjecture.

Interestingly, when the black ink ball called Octazooka explodes on an Octillery's opponent, many of the signs seen in its explosion bear a striking resemblance to those commonly seen in undersea caves. Perhaps this is a coincidence, but most consider it likely that Octillery write messages on their target when they attack which only their own kind can understand.


	225. Delibird

One of the oddest traditions of Mahogany Town, or indeed all of Johto, is the festival known as the Day of the Delibird. Held in the darkest days of winter, the day contains all the usual celebrations of a favorite pokemon, such as a parade of Delibird floats and a one-pokemon battle tournament to determine the town's Delibird king or queen. And then there is the gift-giving.

In the twisted manner of a Delibird's presents, people on the Day of the Delibird fill their wrapping paper with either genuine gifts or explosive devices, and give one to everyone in town they know. Some explosives are practical jokes – a present is opened, a faceful of powder received, and everyone has a good laugh. Others are a mess to clean up after and intended as statements of contempt, and even cause slight injury. It is for this reason that all kinds of potions and soft drinks are also commonly wrapped as presents for good friends, and sometimes even revives.

According to a deeply ingrained custom which has achieved the force of law, no present may be refused on this day, and no person prosecuted for any injuries which their presents cause. Although this is a festive and joyful day for children and those who know they lack enemies, for many it is a day of fear, a day for settling old scores, a way for the people of Mahogany to resolve their feuds with death before they tear the community apart.

And it is exactly like the capricious pokemon this festival honors. Despite the common belief which many trainers desperately cling to, there is nothing random whatsoever about a Delibird's presents.


	226. Mantine

In ancient times, a story was told about how the strange, black, target-shaped markings on a Mantine's back and wings were really eyes – and not just any eyes, but the eyes of Zubat, whose ancestor gave Mantine his eyes so that they might still watch the great blue sky, not the dank walls of caves. The fact that Mantine have four of these "eyes", while Golbat have two was little concern to the ancients, for it explained two great mysteries at once.

In the warring states era, this story morphed into a more violent form. Mantine were not born with their eyes (which is true; they are not found on Mantyke) but must steal them from baby Zubat before their mother returns; if she does, the babies maintain their eyes and evolve quickly into Golbat. Their wing eyes were explained by the fact that Mantine rob not one Zubat, but two; they would steal more if they had anywhere good to put them.

Today, the eyes are thought to be an adaptation for a Mantine's dual environment; their front eyes are for vision in the air, their back eyes for vision in the water, although why two of the eyes are placed on the wings is not yet fully understood. Yet living in a modern and rational age has not made these eyes any less of a magnet for strange tales. It is common for travelers out at sea to see a sleeping Mantine floating upside-down above the water. When they do, its four back eyes, antennae, and near-saucer shape drive many of them to a common and ridiculous conclusion; that they have sighted an Elgyem spacecraft.


	227. Skarmory

The annually molted blade feathers of a Skarmory's wings have often been described as natural swords, for when placed in a soldier's hands and given a hilt, they work as well as the artificial kind. Because of this, Skarmory feathers were prized as a source of weaponry in many lands without access to significant metal reserves, from the dawn of the Iron Age until the era when gunpowder finally replaced swords in warfare.

Skarmory typically live in remote areas which in that era were far from any nation's real authority, and when multiple armies came to claim them, the Skarmory usually flew away in the chaos. This gave the impetus for the Skarmory Sword Challenge, a competition where champions from each interested nation would face off in an effort to win these coveted blades. And it was a challenge – for if the champions themselves did not kill each other, stealing feathers from a Skarmory was no easy task either, even with their pokemon.

Skarmory nest on hazardous cliffs and mountaintops which are never too accessible for climbers. They cover the approaches to their nests with long arrays of Spikes and Stealth Rocks, as much to toughen up their chicks' defenses as for any real protection. The Skarmory, despite their new steel coats, are hazards in themselves, for they spend the competition spitting old feathers from their beaks at the contestants or attempting to blow them into the sea with their wings.

If any survive long enough to reach the Skarmory's sword-covered nest, they will find more than an armory there, for Skarmory are all too glad to be trained by those who have proven their strength and courage. Today, it is the Skarmory, not their feathers, that are the real prize of this contest.


	228. Houndour

It is often said that, while Growlithe are the pets of Arceus, Houndour are the pets of Darkrai or Giratina – an explanation which was once taken literally. Others had theorized that the differences between Houndour and Growlithe come from them being different species before domestication, albeit related ones. Recent DNA sequencing, however, has demonstrated conclusively that Houndour were the result of crossbreeding between female Growlithe and a variety of dark-type pokemon over a period of many generations – and moreover, their molecular clocks demonstrated that this crossbreeding took place **after** domestication.

In other words, Houndour are as man-made as the pokeball, and their vicious treatment of strangers is nothing more than a manifestation of man's inhumanity towards their fellow man. This too has led to a variety of theories; some have thought them attack dogs, bred for war, their viciousness a means of making them better fighters. Others have thought them guards bred to protect their trainers from the ravages of psychics and the dead, their cruelty an unfortunate side effect. Perhaps they protected aristocratic estates in ancient times, or perhaps they worked with police or patrolled the borders of particularly isolationist villages.

When Houndour enter the historical record, they are found doing all these things, as well as acting as pets for those few who could tame and handle them – along with a sad number of those who couldn't. Which if any of these is their original purpose has been lost to history.


	229. Houndoom

Houndoom have long been associated with the dead, perhaps because they are notorious scavengers, perhaps because of the many protruding decorative bones along their bodies. In some traditions, they bring the dead to the afterlife, while others see them as demons who will bring about a premature end.

To the monks who train them, and to most of Kanto and Johto, however, their main role in the afterlife is to prepare souls for reincarnation through a process of burning.

Their burn is not a complete one, for that would leave no soul left – the pure, enlightened aspects of a person remain, while memories and attachments are usually burnt away. The form changes, too – the souls of sinful human and righteous pokemon change into pokemon and humans respectively, so it is said, and other aspects may also be altered by this burning. To this day, Houndoom are a common sight at funerals, where they are trained to spit fire at the deceased's heart, while mourners attempt to discern by the strength of the burn and arrow of the Houndoom's tail just what their loved ones will be in the next life.

A Houndoom's flame burns slowly, stinks of sulfur, and gives almost everything it touches among the living a searing pain which never quite seems to go away. And yet they are kept commonly by monks, who walk through their fires to test themselves, for it is thought that those who are truly enlightened will not feel even the tiniest of pains from a Houndoom's flame, even when alive. And indeed, these monks seem to handle the flames better than most, although their contorted faces make it obvious that they have not yet achieved enlightenment, if there even is such a thing.


	230. Kingdra

The recent tragedy across Hoenn's coast should remind us how fortunate we are that most Kingdra sleep in the deep trenches of the ocean, where the strange storms which come about whenever they wake up are merely weather hazards for ships and water pokemon. When one drifts towards the coast when it ends its long slumber, it is certainly destructive, but nowhere near the total devastation that occurred when Team Aqua became involved.

After Kyogre's defeat, what remained of Team Aqua discovered how to manipulate ocean currents to bring Kingdra (and countless other water-types) closer to shore, and managed to send the sound of a Poke Flute from Dewford to Mossdeep through the use of an amplified Wailord song. When the Kingdra awakened simultaneously, the force of their numbers joined a hundred twisters into one; rather than a small, manageable storm, Hoenn was struck by the largest, most devastating typhoon in its history. And the devastation was made far worse by the fierce whirlpools which formed around Hoenn as soon as the sleepy Kingdra yawned; no outside relief could reach the island, and the local Pokemon League was not nearly up to the task.

For a moment, it seemed like Team Aqua's mad victory had come and Hoenn would be reclaimed by the sea. Yet they were soon annihilated by an unlikely enemy in the Kingdra themselves, who were as annoyed by being woken up as they were appalled by the devastation they caused. Before long they sent a new storm, this one aimed directly at the source of the melody which had roused them from their sleep, then got to work destroying their own whirlpools and freeing people trapped under rubble.

Team Aqua has not been heard from since and is thought to have been drowned at sea.


	231. Phanpy

A Phanpy's enormous ears are natural fans which are used to not only cool wild Phanpy, but their entire herds, Donphan and Phanpy alike. Indeed, Donphan, with their thick armor and heavy, narrow ears, must reproduce or form groups with other Donphan's Phanpy in order to regulate their own body temperature. Humans have also caught on to the value of Phanpy, and in warm climates they are often preferred for cooling to even ice and water-type pokemon.

Despite these ears producing a fairly strong breeze, Phanpy do not flap them at a high enough speed to use flying attacks such as Gust and Hurricane. It was once thought by science that this was because their ears did not allow for such movement; certainly it would use such an attack to defeat the often dangerous grass-type pokemon they eat if they could! Recent anatomical research on Phanpy, however, suggests that Phanpy indeed have this ability, but refuse to use it, likely because they fear blowing their prey too far away.

Tradition ascribes another reason for Phanpy's reluctance to use Gust. Phanpy are ground-type pokemon, but know few ground-type attacks. Because of this, they find their connection to the ground tenuous, and fear that if they get picked up by too strong a wind, their ears will carry them like a Hoppip across the skies. Today, this theory is usually thought of as an old superstition, but there is a tempting logic to it: if their artificial orange pads are removed, Phanpy ears look remarkably like Lugia or Swanna wings.


	232. Donphan

It is a common saying of the history teachers of Johto that Donphan are the reason why castles are built on hilltops. This is an exaggeration, for height confers enough advantages that castles are built on high ground even in lands far away from any Donphan. However, castles on flat plains are often toppled by these pokemon and there are few more terrifying sights in warfare than an avalanche of Donphan rolling downhill.

Other large, round pokemon, such as Electrode and Graveler, are often used in the same way as Donphan; heavy balls which plummet downhill with enough force to knock over anything from trees to attacking armies. But Donphan have two major advantages over these these other pokemon: its tusks, low to the ground, make its Rollout a wider attack in area with the potential to stab as well as send flying. It can also cease its rolling by extending its long, armored trunk, either to protect itself or to trip up its enemies, unlike rounder pokemon who are easily blocked by tower shields.

There was one reliable way to defeat these Donphan before the invention of cannon. I do not refer to water or grass attacks, which seldom have enough momentum to alter the course of a rolling Donphan, and a fainted Donphan which continues moving is nearly as dangerous as a conscious one! They do lose momentum going uphill, and if the incline is too steep the Donphan will simply be sent flying over the battlefield. Therefore, in the age of castles and Donphan, earthworks were probably the most important part of warfare, for altering the ground was the best defense against Rollout. (Flying pokemon were also used, but could be shot down too easily by Stone Edge.)

And few pokemon dig better earthworks than other Donphan.


	233. Porygon2

The idea that Porygon2 are some sort of poorly designed flightless spaceship is too absurd to be believed, yet it has spread far and wide. Although it is true that they need not breathe air and could theoretically survive in the vacuum of space, Porygon2 lack many things necessary to be effective space probes. Flight, however, is not one of them; they must merely use their strange Conversion technique against the right pokemon in order to take to the skies.

The reason this misconception has held out for so long is a tale in its own right. The scientists who developed on the Up-Grade were a secretive group who feared a repeat of the death threats against the original Porygon's creator, so they gave a false story to the media in order to divert public attention. This ought to have been corrected by now, but many researchers share the general public's phobia of all Porgyon forms, owing to an early Porygon's role in a tragic laboratory accident which hospitalized hundreds. With no interest in meeting one, let alone studying it, they carelessly repeated this lie through countless earlier editions of the Pokedex.

It has now become apparent that Porygon2's real purpose was not the exploration of outer space, but of cyberspace. A search engine on steroids, they delve through the Internet's past and present, read virtually every language, and synthesize the information as well as a supercomputer or an Alakazam. Porygon2 have been responsible for the invention of many new technologies, most notably the armor called Eviolite. More interestingly, they have recently discovered of a network in a language too strange for them to translate, with lag times far longer than their technological level would justify, leading many to speculate that Porygon2 have found a truly alien civilization after all.


	234. Stantler

The fabled black balls on a Stantler's antlers do far more than create illusions; they are said to have the strange and awesome power to warp reality itself. Whether this is indeed the case or whether they act by altering memories is a debate which has intrigued many philosophers throughout the ages, and leaves too much room for argument to ever be resolved. What is undisputed is that once they are caught in a Stantler's illusion, people will wake up to a reality which has been changed from the one they left.

Sometimes their reality is dramatically altered, with the friends and family and world they knew completely replaced; other times, it is merely a collection of subtle changes to one's personal circumstances and the history they learned growing up. Even the subtle changes can prove disorienting, and most people do not wish to risk the major ones, so Stantler are feared and avoided, and their illusions are forbidden in battle. (This is probably the reason why Stantler's power evolved, for predatory pokemon are scared away as easily as humans.) Although this world of peace and pokemon is perhaps not the best of all possible worlds, there are so many ways it could have gone horribly wrong, and so few which would have made it better.

In times of personal tragedy, grief, and despair, however, it is common for those who have lost the will to live to watch Stantler herds race by. They hope that when they wake up, they will find themselves in a better world, or at least a world free of their own agony. Some people, either out of wanderlust or after watching them until it appears futile, even capture a Stantler and train it for themselves.

For Stantler trainers, every day is a new beginning.


	235. Smeargle

It is quite common for pokemon such as Ditto, Parasect or Cradily, who develop amazing skill in performing a rare or unique attack, to regard Smeargle with jealousy or even hatred. It is not difficult to see why, for not only can Smeargle learn an in instant these attacks which take pokemon years to master, but they can combine them in nearly infinite ways of which other pokemon can only dream. This versatility has made Smeargle a popular pokemon among trainers and brought them to the highest heights of the Pokemon League.

There was once a Smeargle for whom merely being among the greatest was not enough, for he sought the power of the gods. He traveled from across the lands, tracking down and doing "battle" with various pokemon of legend, losing each match. He was a brilliant painter of objects as well as techniques, and used his income to purchase countless Focus Sashes, which he used in order to last long enough to Sketch their wrath. In time, he climbed Mount Coronet, faced off against Dialga and Palkia in turn, and gained control over time and space itself, a power which he used to perform miracles for personal gain.

To preserve the harmony of the world, Arceus descended from the heavens and cast Judgment upon this Smeargle. Smeargle, badly wounded but not yet vanquished, sketched out the attack in all its heavenly glory, and the god was too surprised to move. Smeargle then cast his own Judgment on Arceus itself, bringing forth and condemning it for every atrocity of mythology, every cruel thing in creation. And Arceus – Mighty Arceus, Arceus the Creator –was defeated in battle for the only time in its life.

Thus passed the power of the priests. Thus began the Age of Reason.


	236. Tyrogue

The punch of a Tyrogue is nearly as strong as a Hitmonchan's, and even more remarkable is how effortlessly they appear to do it. Tyrogue do not sweat, pant, or breathe heavily, and to the untrained observer their fighting is as much a painful mockery of their opponents as a serious attempt to win. In reality, Tyrogue push themselves to their limits, and are equally known for falling asleep in the middle of combat. Sleep, however, only slows them down, as their feet dodge attacks with footwork rivaling a Hitmonlee's.

The reason they do this is because to Tyrogue, this is the essence of what it means to be a man. Tyrogue, like their evolutions, are deeply steeped in an ideal form of masculinity, which they identify with unflinching courage and enormous power, and stamina. There are no female Tyrogue, nor is there a counterpart species as with Miltank and Nidorina; those few born with the capacity to lay eggs switch their gender not like Azurill by random chance during in evolution, but by pure willpower soon after birth.

Given that the same gender cannot breed, it is unclear how Tyrogue continue to be born. To be sure, Ditto likely play a role – they must in captivity, and unless their mothers are yet to be discovered, so do they in the wild. But what do they turn into? What sort of strange creatures were once Tyrogue's mothers? What form do Ditto take to mate and lay their eggs? And if a Tyrogue was born female and did not see all that is good in the world in a single gender, what sort of pokemon would they become after evolution?

Perhaps someday, science will shine its light on this fascinating pokemon and the mystery of its birth.


	237. Hitmontop

Although Hitmontop can stand on and even walk with their legs, it is as painful and disorienting as a human standing on their head. Yet standing on their head for a Hitmontop is not much better; they can only balance on their head while standing still for about a minute, and must rely on the centrifugal force generated by their spinning kicks to stay upright. Because of this, most Hitmontop continue spinning until they fall over, and it is this trait which has led small spinning toys to be called "tops".

Their lack of mobility and restricted field of vision makes them poor athletes in all sports save perhaps for pokemon battles, where their spinning kicks allow them to block many an attack; indeed, it is common for their heads to drill into the ground while they spin in place. (They are, however, quite overrated in fighting video games, where their spin-kicks require little more than button mashing to perform effectively.) Where they are useful, however, is in training. If one tosses a ball to a Hitmontop, they can kick it with a mighty force at virtually any angle, a fact which has seen them pressed into service to train goaltenders in Goal Roll. To many goaltenders, this training is more difficult than a match itself.

A couple enterprising coaches have gone so far as to use Hitmontop, despite their lack of mobility, as players, making them stand near the front and receive passes in order to take advantage of their excellent shots. This strategy has been generally dismissed as a failure, for Hitmontop who try to stay in place and wait for a pass get as dizzy as humans who try to spin like Hitmontop.


	238. Smoochum

Under no circumstances should anyone ever allow a Smoochum to kiss them, for its kiss is far more dangerous than even that of a fully-grown Jynx. Jynx only steal luck – certainly an important thing, but even the cursed can manage to trudge stubbornly onwards. And Smoochum, despite their youth, steal far more.

The first kiss of a Smoochum, the so-called sweet kiss, can be placed anywhere on the skin, and will cause the victim to hallucinate a series of bizarre and fantastic visions and sounds. A small number of fools have sought out Smoochum for that very reason, but most stick to other pokemon like Ivysaur, which are far less dangerous to the victim. For inevitably the vision will center on a short but beautiful woman, who gives them a lovely and wonderful kiss on the lips. The woman is the Smoochum, so well disguised by the powerful illusions of the previous kiss that none ever stop to wonder where she came from, or where the Smoochum went. And like a Sleeping Beauty in reverse, this kiss robs them of their waking hours, and they slumber for years or even decades.

Smoochum do not kiss out of cruelty, but for warmth and energy; they must rob the victims of their waking hours in order to survive in their cold mountain homes, where sleep means being buried under an avalanche. When they finally evolve into Jynx, they will take special care to protect those they have kissed from danger – sometimes from afar, others by protecting their victims' still-sleeping bodies from the elements. After all, it is noteworthy that none who have fallen asleep in this way report having nightmares; the nightmare is what happens once they wake up.


	239. Elekid

Much like old, worn-out electronics, the activity of an Elekid is sharply limited by its abysmal battery life. An Elekid which does not charge can last only two hours at full power, so wild Elekid are extremely hard to find. They spend their days sleeping until a thunderstorm comes, are awakened by lightning, and frolic, eat, and chase more lightning bolts until they fall back asleep.

Apart from their historical range, these pokemon have also become common in Kanto's abandoned Power Plant. The size and shape of an Elekid's horns resembles that of an electrical outlet so well that Elekid can be charged by simply plugging them into the wall. More remarkably, when the managers of the Power Plant tried on multiple occasions to change the outlet's shape in frustration with them using up too much electricity, the next generation of Elekid were born with horns adjusted to match the new outlets! The managers in time gave up and learned to make use of their evolution of Electabuzz, while pokemon researchers far and wide were left baffled as to how Elekid could do such a thing.

The power plant is long abandoned, but to this day, its walls teem with plugged-in Elekid, while their tired brethren wait their turns. Their Electabuzz parents distract trainers from their children at the risk of their own freedom; many trainers in Kanto fail realize that wild Elekid even exist, for they are much more interested in capturing their parents. If a trainer does manage to obtain an Elekid, either by catching one or breeding one of their own, they should remember to charge it at every opportunity. Not only does this replenish their energy, but it also slowly allows them to build up the massive amount of electricity needed to evolve into Electabuzz.


	240. Magby

As recently as when Red defeated Team Rocket, it was believed that Magmar could not breed. Theories abounded as to why this was the case: perhaps their reproductive organs had been scorched away when they were reborn in the fire of volcanoes, perhaps their flame body which incubates the eggs of other pokemon so well was causing their own eggs to hatch prematurely. But the utter absence of any infant Magmar in the wild, and their refusal to breed in captivity, understandably led people to believe they were as sterile as Voltorb.

Recent advances in the science of pokemon breeding have led to many baby pokemon being bred for the first time in captivity, and seen others like Pichu reclassified from mere infants to their own evolutionary stage. Yet none of these discoveries have shocked the scientific world as much as the breeding of Magbee or Magby. (The latter transcription is favored, owing to its similarity to the word "baby", but a vocal minority continues to insist on the former one.) An elderly couple of pokemon breeders at a daycare in Johto have recently managed to induce a pair of Magmar to breed, and the method they used has since become as commonplace among breeders as Rattata in tall grass.

The resultant pokemon, Magby, has one striking difference from Magmar; its fire is contained internally, so it does not burn everything it touches, a fact which allows trainers to raise one without fear of committing arson. (One must use care when handling a Magby, however, for the lack of flames does not mean a safe body temperature.) Sadly, they do not get used to the sensation of burning from infancy, so once they evolve they are as pained by the heat as a Magmar born of a volcano.


	241. Miltank

Not only is Moomoo Milk nutritious, but it also possesses the unusual ability to heal the injuries of pokemon and people alike. Today, it is thought to have developed as a way to encourage other pokemon (and later, people) to protect them, for Miltank are not especially strong fighters. Yet their hide is too tough for most predators to bite through, and the stories of old offer a different explanation...

It is said that in ancient times, the first Miltank and Chansey were close friends. Chansey, then as now, was relied on to heal the injuries of other pokemon, but to do so it had to sacrifice its eggs – and every time it did so, it wept, for it feared it would never be able to lay eggs and have children. Miltank prayed to Arceus and any other legend it could think of, asking for a way to heal pokemon without seizing its friends eggs. Its prayers went unanswered, so instead it used its own body as an experiment, adding stomachs and trying different combinations of grasses. At times, it fell ill with food poisoning from taste-testing its own milk, but eventually it found a combination which could heal other pokemon.

And sadly, it was not enough to help its friend; instead, with an extra healer, pokemon battles merely became more common. Frustrated by this disrespect for its efforts, Miltank began charging pokemon for its milk, while Chansey, ever-compassionate, continued to heal all who asked for free. Even today, Chansey are rare because they staff pokemon centers and seldom have a chance to lay eggs of their own. The Moomoo Milk of Miltank, on the other hand, has made the farms of Olivine so rich that they might as well print money.


	242. Blissey

Blissey have often been imagined as angels of good fortune, as a sort of pokemon who strive not to achieve dominance in battle, but to heal and protect and bring happiness to their fellow pokemon and people alike. It is not hard to see why such an idea developed; Blissey seem to be as weak attackers as Shuckle (although their short, stubby arms can hurl their opponents to amazing heights) yet they have the power to heal and protect not only themselves but others with ease. Comforting though it may be in a world where so many pokemon only know the law of the jungle, and despite having spread from ancient lore around the world as far as older scientific texts, this idea has little basis in fact.

It is true that Blissey eschew hand-to-hand combat – but the reason for the latter fact may lie as much in the fact that, while neither snow nor rain nor heat can stop them, they do have a remarkable, extreme weakness to a punch in the face, and take major damage from even weak physical attacks. Although it is true that they are healers, provided they are treated well there is no one too good or evil for Blissey to serve, and ruthless dictators need Blissey for themselves and their armies just as much as everyone else.

Perhaps in this peaceful age the dream of the angelic Blissey is finally coming true. As war has begun to vanish from the world, their old use as battlefield medics has likewise diminished, and today they are primarily found as elite healers in hospitals and pokemon centers. Yet one must be weary of stereotyping, for many Blissey have found a new calling – as impermeable defenders battling at the highest levels of the Pokemon League!


	243. Raikou

From New Bark to Olivine, Raikou races across Johto, like its siblings running day and night, awake and asleep, across land and water. Unlike the fiery Entei and naturally aquatic Suicune, however a Raikou's journeys across water are a source for immense terror; an old water pokemon in Johto is often defined as one who has learned to avoid its many routes. Water, after all, conducts electricity, and Raikou offer plenty of volts to conduct.

It is generally held that Raikou run because they can not stop, for much as Kanto's weather is dependent on the legendary birds only rarely venturing from their lairs, so is Johto's on the legendary beasts racing constantly across the land; the storms they summon keep worse chaos at bay. But many, citing the constant storms which batter Cianwood and the Whirl Islands, are unconvinced that Raikou need venture out so far at all. Instead, they claim that Raikou, like Meowth and other feline pokemon, are said to love the taste of fish, and a legendary pokemon has a legendary appetite. (Needless to say, this theory is rejected by those who favor a canine explanation for Raikou's origins.)

Raikou, however, has not existed forever, but was born when Ecruteak's tower burned. Although most claim Ho-oh regulated the weather before the tower burned, some have used this fact to deny that Raikou have anything to do with the weather at all. They say that Raikou neither accidentally electrocutes pokemon, nor fishes with lightning, but targets the sea because, in another life, it saw a sailor on leave burn down the Brass Tower and swore revenge against everything he loved.

Whatever reason they run, nowhere along Johto's coast do people forget to leave offerings and pray for Raikou and its thunder to stay far away from them.


	244. Entei

The brass tower was not the only thing which burned in Ecruteak on that awful night. When Ho-oh raised them from the dead, Raikou and Suicune fled town, grateful to be again alive, yet fearing they would be killed again. Those two were long gone when Entei exited the burning building. So was the voice in the crowd who had cursed Ho-oh and swore he would crush the pokemon of the wilderness and claim the power of the gods, so was the one who had thrown the torch which ignited the Brass Tower. So was the rest of the mob who had cheered as their god, their shrine, and three innocent pokemon in the basement burned.

They were sleeping when one of those pokemon took its revenge. With a single roar Entei set fires across half of Ecruteak, from the gym to the city's famous dance hall, burning faster than the local Squirtle Squad could stop it. On the other side of Ecruteak, Entei stood majestically in the city square, covered in those same flames, daring anyone to seek revenge for what it had done. One day later, with immense aid from neighboring towns, the fire was finally put out.

Yet not even the most hotheaded or powerful trainers in the city sought revenge on Entei. The people of Ecruteak had become overcome with remorse for their attack on the tower, and those who thought otherwise still feared the wrath of the gods. Some went so far as to build a shrine to the great beast from the wreckage, hoping to calm its rage.

The next day, Entei left Ecruteak, traveling across Johto in a search of centuries for a place like Ecruteak had once been; a place it could call home. It is still searching to this day.


	245. Suicune

When the Brass Tower burned, it was a sudden downpour carried by a northern wind which finally quashed the flames. Some say that it was in gratitude for this storm that Ho-oh, just reawakened, created Suicune to be god of the north wind, while others say that the spirit of the wind itself entered one of the fallen pokemon, carrying with it the power of water. Either way, what it did not bring Suicune was the power of flight, for the north wind which sweeps down upon the Johto plain is so heavy with water that wings become waterlogged and birds struggle to fly.

Suicune is called the north wind because of this legend, and because like the north wind brings pure water and blows dirt and grime out to sea, so does a simple touch of Suicune's foot turn the most toxic stream a shining blue. This fact has given it countless priests and shrines, who spend their time leading prayer and environmental cleanup efforts alike in polluted cities like Celadon and Goldenrod. Suicune does not always blow from the north, for if it did, it would reach the south pole and stop blowing. But sometimes, Suicune allows itself to be taken too far on the wind it calls home, and returns from the antarctic carrying an aurora in its fur. This is how it rests, for Suicune, unlike its siblings, fears the consequences of stopping. A walking Suicune, after all, is a slow breeze, but wind at rest is merely air and not wind at all.

Every now and then, a child's life is saved from fire by a sudden storm carried on the north wind and they grow up to chase legends.


	246. Larvitar

Today Johto is primarily a land of plains, its only major peak of Mount Silver located at its far eastern edge. However, Bronze Age Johto was known in foreign records for its many mountains and a pokemon called Larvitar with a thick hide which could be ground up into Hard Stones. Mount Silver in that era was twice its current height and bordered a Mount Gold and Mount Crystal, with countless smaller peaks and valleys nestled in between.

Yet even these enormous mountains were much smaller than they had been in prehistoric times. The reason for their cataclysmic disappearance was neither the chaos of nature called plate tectonics, nor the savage disregard of Man for his environment, but the evolution of a tiny rock-type pokemon called Larvitar. Stories of a single Larvitar eating a whole mountain are either exaggeration or use a significantly more generous definition of "mountain" than current science, but it was true that an individual Larvitar could devour a reasonably large hill; over a few generations, every mountain in Johto is and was doomed.

It is lucky for all who love Mount Silver, or even Larvitar themselves, that they take a thousand years in the wild to reach maturity. Their numbers have dwindled dramatically, both from starvation and other mountain pokemon who feared the fate of their brethren throughout Johto, who now live shortened lives and only reach a fraction of their potential. Although Mount Silver is still shrinking, any trainer brave and powerful enough to venture in, and lucky enough to spot one, can still find a Larvitar. These pokemon have amazing potential, but even the greatest should be warned, for they cost a small fortune in soil to feed!


	247. Pupitar

Metapod and Kakuna are renowned for their hard shells, but are far from invincible; Pidgeot and Fearow drop them onto rocks and break them with relative ease. This is not the case with Pupitar, however, for those few Skarmory brave enough to try and eat them soon find that Pupitar more than live up to their reputation as a virtually indestructible pokemon, often beaten but never slain.

The earth's atmosphere, which burns up meteors so easily, is equally incapable of harming Pupitar. Some say they climb into space with their rocket propulsion to search for a better mountain than their decaying Mount Silver, and quite a few have developed craters from these strange, armored pokemon. It is lucky for the world that they are still outnumbered by even the endangered Torterra, so that mountains continue to be born faster than Larvitar can eat them. Others merely claim that they do this because one must see the world to rule the world, and every Tyranitar, like its name implies, strives to rule the world. Although ethics obviously prevent direct testing, eyewitness reports imply that Pupitar can also survive dynamite and even nuclear explosions.

It is odd to think that Pupitar, so expertly camouflaged against Mount Silver's terrain that few among the trainers great enough to enter notice them at all, even bother to hide. Some speculate that they once had natural predators, who have since went extinct. Others claim that they hide from the fratricidal violence of other Tyranitar, for the only thing which can break a Pupitar is a Tyranitar, and Pupitar only evolve once they are strong enough to smash through their own cocoons.


	248. Tyranitar

There are many pokemon associated with royalty, from the regal Nidoqueen and vicious Nidoking to the withdrawn Kingdra, who rule other pokemon by a mix of birth, tradition, and might. There are only two species, however, who have no claim to monarchy, yet strive to seize its power for themselves. Of these two, Empoleon rise through a mixture of opportunity and megalomania, rule through human Substitutes, and strive to reform as much as they conquer. Tyranitar, on the other hand, rule over humans and pokemon alike through the power of brute force alone.

Surrounded by a mobile sandstorm as fierce as the deserts where Hippowdon roam, Tyranitar subjugate others not through actually winning battles as much as they do from the fear of facing one in combat, and collect tribute and avoid rebellions from the terror of a royal visit. Their retainers – rock, ground, and steel-type beasts like Excadrill and Dugtrio – are scary enough, for their camouflage and quick movements make them seem invisible against any would-be opponent's battered eyes. But they are nothing when compared to the mighty Tyranitar itself, a beast so heavy and powerful that it creates Earthquakes with every step, whose Stone Edge is said to slay many a legend in a single attack.

A single Tyranitar can reign for generations, and Johto's history abounds with the tales of the vast lands they have ground beneath their green, clawed foot. But the time eventually comes when every empire falls, for the courage of pokemon will in time bring a great fighter close enough to punch, kick, or Aura Sphere the Tyranitar into the realm of the dead.


	249. Lugia

Some say that Lugia's claims to lead the other legendary birds originated as nothing more than an empty boast by the people of the Whirl Islands, a silly claim that their god was better than those of Kanto. Yet its casual acceptance even in the other birds' homes belies the weakness of that explanation, and perhaps the real reason is the same reason why it was once worshiped like it was Arceus, and even today is called its assistant. Humans may be eager to ascribe weather or strange occurrences to the gods, but they find it difficult to imagine how birds or dogs or even Arceus itself can create. Lugia, however, has hands.

According to many of Lugia's followers in Johto, it was these enormous hands which crafted the continents themselves and hurled the stars and moon into the sky. Across the lands it is said that Lugia grabbed the elements themselves and fused them to other flying pokemon (which ones change in each region) to create the legendary birds. In the far north, it is said that Lugia is locked in a perpetual embrace with Ho-oh, the sky is Lugia's arm-wing, and the northern lights are Ho-oh's wing peeking through Lugia's fingers. For the fishing communities of the whirl islands, conversely, Lugia sleeps beneath the waves, and the islands themselves are its heavy fingers; its many whirlpools and earthquakes are created when Lugia must adjust its position beneath the weight of the lands which have grown upon it. Many more stories have been ascribed to Lugia's hands; they are too numerous to even attempt to summarize here.

In reality, Lugia is a psychic-type, it creates with telekinesis, and its hands are mostly for decoration: it can not even use doubleslap.


	250. Hooh

There are those even today who claim that Ho-oh perished in the flames which burnt down the Brass Tower, that even a fire-type could not survive that inferno, and that any claims to the contrary are the work of a priesthood trying to regain its relevance after Ecruteak turned its back on its god. There are a few who claim that Ho-oh never left, that it made a nest on the neighboring Tin Tower and watches silently and protectively over Ecruteak to this day. And there is the story which every child knows, which the priests teach to this day:

Ho-oh, its tower burned while war raged around it, rose from the ashes only to turn its back on the world. It will return only when humans and pokemon have truly learned to live together in harmony. Before it flew away, it left behind two holy items. One, a Sacred Fire it lit in the center of the ruins, maintained by the priesthood, which has burnt for centuries without consuming a thing. The other, the pile of Sacred Ash it rose from, which is said to be infused with the power to raise pokemon from the dead. Many pilgrims visit the ash every year in the hopes of not having to lay their dear pokemon to rest, though few are rewarded for their journey.

Today, humans and pokemon rarely wage open war, and this age is more peaceful than the time when Ho-oh first came to Ecruteak. However, the time for Ho-oh's return has still not come, for too often pokemon habitat is seized by civilization, and too many trainers treat their pokemon more like servants than friends. Yet sometimes, when people are truly kind to pokemon, a rainbow appears without rain; it is said to be Ho-oh's approving wing.


	251. Celebi

The GS ball in which Celebi was caught was sealed tighter than a Master Ball, closed so shut that professors failed to open it and a man who made pokeballs from apricorns had to be called in. And yet when he opened it, with cameras surrounding him, it was empty. At first, speculation centered on foul play – had the delivery man or some professor or the apricorn man himself opened the ball? Soon, however, forensic tests revealed that the ball had never been opened since Celebi was captured!

There are no pokemon capable of teleporting from inside a pokeball; if there were, Abra could never be captured for long. There was no explanation short of time travel, and although legends discussed it, physics held it to be impossible. The research team who had captured them was humiliated by this escape, denounced as frauds, their reputations ruined. They were even more shocked a few weeks later, when they discovered that the evidence that they had ever captured it, their public shame, and everyone else's memories of the GS ball had simply disappeared!

There was only one explanation for this, no matter how unlikely it seemed. Celebi, ever free-spirited, had gone back in time to prevent its own capture. So were Gold and Silver stymied, so have generations of greats failed. The saga of the disappearing Celebi has been repeated through the ages, forever and yet never through the magic of time travel.

This concludes the Pokedex entries for the Johto region. I'd like to thank everyone who's helped me out along the way, be it ideas, inspiration, or pointing out errors. See you in Hoenn!


	252. Treecko

The recent war between Team Aqua and Magma, ended by the heroics of Ruby and Sapphire, is just one chapter in the endless struggle of Kyogre and Groudon for dominance over Hoenn. It is often surmised that Kyogre serves the sea and Groudon the land, but the reality is more multifaceted. Groudon's concept of land is one with many mountains and deserts, and the rest of the land given over to the usage of Man; one with no room for forests in the wilderness. In older eras, Rayquaza, who sought peace and at least had a similar color to the trees, inspired smaller organizations among the peoples of the wilderness: Fortree City is a relic of one such group's effort to live in harmony with the forest and prove both sides wrong. However, this is an exception, for outside of the roads to Fortree and the Petalburg Woods, the trees and the many pokemon they sheltered have spent millennia slowly disappearing.

Treecko have been hit especially hard by this habitat destruction. Their usage of Leaf Blade to harvest small trees for food puts them in direct competition with both loggers, who want the trees for themselves, and environmentalists, who fear a recovered population could destroy more trees than the forest could bear, although they only become truly dangerous if they survive to reach the Sceptile stage. Worse, Treecko deprived of their standard diet of trees often attempt to survive by eating wooden homes, and their ability to scale even the tallest of walls leave them all but impervious to traps designed for more common bug-type pests; many settlers have responded by importing predators and shooting them on sight.

It is only through the controversial efforts of Professor Birch's captive breeding program that these strange and ancient pokemon have survived.


	253. Grovyle

Grovyle, unlike even their first from of Treecko and their evolution of Sceptile, are renowned far and wide for the extreme loyalty they show to their trainers. It seems at first as though they reward every act of kindness, but they do not, for they also suffer through cruelty without a second thought. When abandoned, they will search far and wide until they inevitably return to their trainers; when traded, they will be baffled by the concept and do likewise; many an unscrupulous trainer has "traded" a Grovyle in this manner.

In war, Grovyle protect their trainers to the end. They use the sturdy leaves on their arms to block swords, arrows, and bullets alike, then leap up to allow their trainers to strike back while they shoot seeds from the air. If badly wounded, they attempt to cover their trainers with their body, hoping that they can hide them until the battle ends. They are not suicidal, but if an attack seems as though it will slay their trainer, they do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives. Many have surmised that what they fear is not dying per se, but no longer being able to protect their trainer because of their death.

Yet while few Grovyle will flinch at risking their lives, most would still balk at altering the flow of time so that they never existed to begin with. Yet they strive to live up to their greatest hero, a Grovyle who was and was not, for it is not a part of this stream of time. A Grovyle who not only convinced the Dialga it defeated and saved to revive its trainer, but who also saved time itself.


	254. Sceptile

It has often been surmised that human beings first developed agriculture in temperate climates. Recently, evidence to the contrary has surfaced, throwing into question the entire story of the origins of human civilization. Excavations in Africa, sparked by the discovery of ruins from satellite photos, have revealed an agricultural civilization based on the harvesting of once-common trees. Even more remarkably, it is clear from numerous sculptures and pottery that the agriculture they practiced was not the invention of Man, but one learned from the Sceptile who had maintained these jungles for thousands upon thousands of years.

The reason which Sceptile practiced agriculture was the same ones humans do; to secure an adequate and reliable food supply. Although they are capable of photosynthesis, Sceptile are large pokemon who lack roots, and therefore must feast on other plants in order to survive. Like other large terrestrial herbivores such as Donphan, their appetite is an enormous one, and their survival easily threatened by deforestation – not from humans, but from the lengthy process of North African desertification.

So they began to transform their environment. To grow trees and shrubs under them and ensure both maintained an ample water supply. To rotate plants from year to year. To crossbreed them for delicious egg moves and faster growth. To domesticate the Oddish and the Tropius. To survive for many more generations, until the curious eyes of Man set eyes upon and began to improve their technique and took it with them to the flood plains of the Nile and beyond.

It was not enough to save the Sceptile. The Sahara Desert now sits where they once tamed the great forest; perhaps they even sped up its march. Yet through the ingenuity of humanity, their wisdom lives on.


	255. Torchic

It has often been surmised that the reason Torchic are so rare today is because, unlike their relatives such as Natu and Starly, they are unable to fly. In reality, the opposite is true; Torchic's ancestors were easy prey for Hoenn's large flying-types such as Swellow and Pelipper, and large, vivid targets for the arrows of early Man, who drove them to the edge of extinction.

Yet mutation came to the rescue when a female Torchic was born who lacked large, ear-like wings and was therefore unable to fly. This Torchic hid in tall grass and fed on seeds, and learned that the pokemon which could find her there, such as Zigzagoon, did not regard her as prey. Forced to use her legs from a young age, she found that they did not atrophy but strengthen. When she evolved, she had arms instead of wings, and her legs had grown so strong that she became a fighting type and could jump high enough to kick birds out of the sky. Because of this, she was able to live a long life and lay many an egg, all of whom hatched into these flightless birds.

In time, she became the ancestor of modern Torchic, Combusken, and Blaziken, and the Latias-like creatures who once bore those names went the way of Armaldo and Cradily. These modern Torchic are not nearly as numerous as their prehistoric ancestors, and much harder to spot. Yet every now and then they can be found not only in the care of trainers, but also in the wilderness whenever tall grass ignites into a brushfire.


	256. Combusken

When most people today think of Combusken, the first thing to come to mind is their appearance in a litany of fighting games. This is not, as has been commonly surmised, due to any unique grace or skill on their part; many of the techniques for Combusken, as for other pokemon, are based only loosely on real attacks and embellished for the sake of gameplay. Nor is it because of Combusken's small size and the need for a short character to dodge high attacks; there are shorter fighting-type pokemon, after all, yet one rarely sees a Machop in such games.

The real reason for Combusken's ubiquity is an accident of history. When Littleroot Studios were developing the first game in their acclaimed Type Wild series, many of the motions for not only Combusken but the other pokemon in the game were developed by observing the Combusken owned by Professor Birch, the only fighting pokemon in the area whose movements were slow enough to capture. It is in tribute to this that the series has included a Combusken from day one, and that the many games it inspired have followed its lead.

Many trainers have been disappointed to learn that real Combusken are incapable of pulling off a sky uppercut to blaze kick to fire punch combo on a regular basis. Others have set up contests where trainers enter their Combusken and attempt the longest combo they can on Lucario dummies, a contest so popular it has recently been included in real fighting games as well.

(This entry is loosely inspired by a real fanmade pokemon fighting game called Type Wild. It includes both Combusken and Blaziken. If you've never heard of it, go check it out.)


	257. Blaziken

(I apologize for the delay in getting this out: I can't do NaNoWriMo and Pokedex at once.)

Although Blaziken are unable to fly, this has not stopped them from preying on the food sources of their flying ancestors: small birds such as Taillow and flying bugs such as Beautifly. It is their method for doing so which is most remarkable: rather than climbing trees to prey on nests or relying on ranged attacks to hit these inevitably distant targets, Blaziken jump high enough into the air to knock out their foes in mid-flight!

This is not the only use for a Blaziken's remarkable jumping ability. In the old days, they were used as a measuring stick for religious buildings in Hoenn, whose builders often tried in vain to create structures so tall no earthly creature (which in this case meant a Blaziken) could jump over them, which was thought to honor the gods. In time, theologians solved this problem by declaring Blaziken not earthly creatures, but a type of bird, because of their avian roots: although Machop can clear some small skyscrapers even today, they were (and remain) far weaker jumpers.

Today, Blaziken are often found jumping from rooftop to rooftop in contests of agility hosted in major cities. These contests are not especially profitable, and most trainers view them more as a training exercise than a sport in their own right, for Blaziken depend on their control of their jumping in combat. It does maintain a small following of avid fans, however, and has often been used as inspiration for exciting chase scenes in film and levels for platform video games alike.


	258. Mudkip

Although beloved outside the region, where environmental organizations have raised countless dollars in the hope of saving them, Mudkip are despised as pests by Hoenn's miners and spelunkers, who have driven them to the edge of extinction. This is because of their habit of moving around boulders with their strong fins, occasionally for a game of catch, but far more often to seal off caverns and find a safe resting place for the night.

Many miners in Hoenn still carry pokemon capable of using strength for their own safety, but before the invention of that Hidden Machine, many could be trapped for days, weeks, or even the rest of their shortened lives. Similarly, although the maps of areas like Mount Moon and Mount Coronet are extremely reliable, Mount Pyre has historically been avoided by Hikers because the Mudkip population left it extremely hard to navigate, requiring remapping on a monthly basis. Although as the population has dwindled it has become possible to rely on old maps, Hikers still fear to venture there because of its historical reputation.

In Hoenn, even environmental organizations use more exotic pokemon on their logo to avoid controversy, and the only people who like Mudkip are the few who worship Rayquaza and wish for a lasting peace in Hoenn's eternal war. They see in their water and ground typing and amphibious nature proof of the legend that Groudon and Kyogre once worked together to create a pokemon, so they hold up Mudkip as a symbol of the hope that Hoenn can someday find peace. And then, if their dream is to be believed, the earth and sea shall live in harmony.


	259. Marshtomp

In English, the name "Marshtomp" recalls nothing more impressive than the marshes where they once frolicked in mud, for the Anglo-Saxons never saw anything impressive or admirable in these pokemon. And indeed, there is little impressive about the Marshtomp once found in England's marshes; they are diminutive compared to their continental counterparts and easy prey for the many grass pokemon who roam England's many fields.

But the Marshtomp of the Tiber surely inspired something in the early Latins.. Perhaps it was their aggressive nature, perhaps their tenacity in combat: some have even speculated that Latin Marshtom, in this harsh environment being swiftly lost to man, formed pods which engaged in pitched battles over scarce territory. Regardless of the reason, in Latin, the name "Marshtomp" instead brings up thoughts of Mars, the Roman god of war named after this pokemon.

In early Roman art, Mars was even portrayed as a Marshtomp, but as Greek influence grew his portrayal was increasingly humanized, an orange fin on his helmet and his name all that recalled his origins. In time, the fins migrated from the helmet of their protective war god to the helmets of the ordinary soldier, who began wearing them in emulation of their deity: it is this fin which gives Roman helmets their distinctive shape.

The Tiber Marshtomp themselves soon disappeared from the wilderness, captured en masse and organized into sacred pokemon legions: as the empire expanded, most of Europe's Marshtomp met the same fate. Sadly, they were reviled by the early Christians as a pagan symbol and by Rome's many conquerors as one of national resistance. They did not survive into the Medieval period: it is in Hoenn, not in Europe, where we find the last of the Marshtomp.


	260. Swampert

As far as science is concerned, there is no Swampert in Sinnoh's Great Marsh. The lack of any Mudkip sightings there alone is proof enough of that fact, but if pressed, frustrated scientists will also point to the temperature being too cold for Swampert to survive in the wild, and the water which attracts poison types to the region is more acidic than any known Swampert species can endure

According to the locals, there is a single Swampert in the area, a male who has lived there since before human habitation of the land and is still alive today. He is thought to be male, which is why there are no Mudkip, but according to them many of the unique characteristics of Great Marsh pokemon developed not in isolation, but because, like a monstrous version of Zeus, he has sired countless children over countless generations with many local pokemon. Once, he was worshiped as a god, because he was ageless and thought to be a unique species, and fed on lavish sacrifices of human and pokemon alike. But when books from Hoenn found their way to this remote region, he was denounced as a fraud and wounded in a revolution.

Since then, the Swampert of the Great Marsh has refused to show his face in daylight. He digs countless deep traps in the marsh, which are claimed to be the reason why few can journey from one end to the other without getting stuck, and feeds on those hapless pokemon who do not climb out in time. A few people caught out there on late nights report catching a glimpse of his face, and some even claim to have been rescued by his mercy, but all know stories of children who went into the marsh at night and never returned.


	261. Poochyena

Although their ferocity and tenacity makes many think they would be excellent at the role, Poochyena are actually quite poor guard dogs. This is because guard dogs, by definition, must protect a fixed item or location, but Poochyena can be drawn long distances from whatever they are protecting in pursuit of a target, Although they are certainly scary, professional thieves are well aware of this habit and work in tandem to draw guard Poochyena away and sneak in: one is much better served by Growlithe or Houndour.

This determination, along with their large numbers in the wild, has also made Poochyena a popular pokemon for trainers, but be warned: Poochyena are omnivorous and more wild than tame, and they see any targets in battle not as pokemon to compete against in a sport, but as prey to devour. Whenever they knock a pokemon out, they will begin to maul and chew, and both trainers must be quick with their pokeballs to avoid debilitating injuries to the loser which even a Center will struggle to heal, or worse, death. League regulations require Poochyena trainers to continue to hold their pokeball in their hand after sending them out and to recall and resummon their pokemon whenever it scores a knockout, but these are not always followed in unofficial battles and accidents (or, in exceptionally bitter rivalries, "accidents") happen.

A few, citing these tragedies, have called for the training of Poochyena to be banned outright, but they are rarely heeded. Pokemon battle, for all the advances of modern technology, is still a blood sport, and any pokemon is capable of causing severe injuries. And when truly tamed, Poochyena can make quite gentle household pets, but tame Poochyena are pacifists who suppress their instincts by harming neither friend nor foe.


	262. Mightyena

(I apologize for the lengthy delay in getting this out and my general slowness as of late. I kind of fell out of the habit of writing these, but I'll try to do better from now on!)

Today, the term "hunt" recalls a highly ritualized activity where the objective is not to kill but to capture rare pokemon. But for most of Hoenn's history, the term referred to a barbaric blood sport in which trainers led packs of Mightyena to chase down and rip apart large and elusive pokemon such as Tropius. It has often been surmised that humans were incidental in this sport, for wild Mightyena are known to chase down and eat large pokemon without any trainers leading their packs.

Few of the people suggesting this have observed many packs of Mightyena in the wild; had they done so, they would soon realize that they spend far more time quarreling with one another for pride, glory, and the biggest share of the kill than they do actually tracking prey. Indeed, wild Mightyena must often survive for weeks without eating, and the legendary power and savagery of their bite has often been attributed to an intense hunger, although their domestic, better-fed counterparts have no less of a crunch.

It is domestic Mightyena who were initially renowned for their teamwork, for the primary task of the hunter in those bygone days was to weld them into a disciplined force capable of co-operating effectively with one another. The shouting of commands in battle was for show: it was true that the pack obeyed their trainer, but a skilled pack had no need for orders. Indeed, many observers throughout history, and even a scattered few today, claim to observe the occasional wild Mightyena pack which hunted as an effective group. It is currently thought that these packs were initially domestic ones who maintained their penchant for teamwork and elected a new leader after the human who initially commanded them was killed in battle with their prey.


	263. Zigzagoon

The most stringent and implacable foes of anti-littering legislation in the pokemon world are not the great polluters of Celadon City, nor Unova's Trubbish and Garbodor trainers, but the Zigzagooners of Hoenn – an unlikely rival, for these are group of people who often clean more litter than any such laws in their own right. Carrying teams of one powerful pokemon and five Zigzagoon, they walk around through tall grass, using their pokemon's unique ability to find and restore discarded items: for a skilled trainer with a talented Zigzagoon, even rare candies can be recycled.

Zigzagooning originates not from a scavenger's versatility, but as a panicked search for weapons and healing which these weak pokemon attempt instead of fighting back whenever they are attacked by wild pokemon. The task of their trainers and the team's one non-Zigzagoon pokemon is not to knock out their foes immediately, however easy it may be to do so, but to protect their teammates until they finish finding and restoring all the valuable items on the ground and hidden beneath the soil: only then do they finish the match.

The reason Zigzagooners oppose these laws is because although a Zigzagoon's tiny paws and large spikes are amazing at restoring the items of others, these pokemon are incapable of recognizing any item they or their trainers have used as an object which can be brought back to a usable state, so Zigzagooners must rely on litter for their riches. Perhaps if they could restore their own items, physics as we know it would be called into question and scarcity eliminated in this world, for a competent Zigzagoon can restore items from ultra balls to max potions without any loss of effectiveness whatsoever.


	264. Linoone

To the unlearned observer, it appears natural that the roads in Hoenn are remarkably straight, and that its intersections are all wide and at right angles, for the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Yet this comes in spite of an often unforgiving terrain, and fortunes in treasure were thrown away in antiquity to demolish obstacles and make these roads as straight as possible. The reason for this is because, while the fierce weather and tall mountains make mail delivery difficult for flying pokemon, and the best carrier birds of the Pidgey family are not natively found there anyway, Hoenn is home to a Linoone, a pokemon so poor at turning it is said to only be able to run in a straight line.

A sprinting Linoone has often been compared to a Rapidash or Arcanine in speed, and although sixty miles per hour does not quite measure up to those larger pokemon, a Linoone's short, lithe body can cross water nearly as easily as land or race over hills without any loss in momentum. As Zigzagoon they become accustomed to handling objects, and even if their parcel is knocked from them in mid-run they are alert enough to stop, go back, and Pickup the lost item. Their short height makes them even more valuable for top-secret communications, which have historically been carried in thin strips of tall grass which run along the roadside.

At times in Hoenn's history, their roads have been used for the other purpose in ancient era: the transportation of armies, in which Linoone still led the way. Indeed, rocketry doctrine was initially based on Linoone tactics, for when armies met, both sides loaded up their Linoone with explosive yet ghost-type attacks and sent them racing through enemy lines.


	265. Wurmple

Many travelers to the land of Hoenn encounter the sight of a Wurmple rearing up to shoot poison at a Swellow, and presume it to be no different than a Weedle doing likewise against a Pidgeotto: a desperate attempt to scare off a predator, or at least use its poison to avenge its own death. This understanding is completely backwards: although poison does slowly damage a Swellow, it makes it twice as strong in combat. Were a Swellow to eat a Wurmple, they would find that although their digestive system can handle them, they give so little nutrition that they are not worth the effort they take to find. The reason Wurmple shoot their barbs at Swellow is not self-defense, but a tribute paid in poison: many Swellow will stay still and absorb waves of attack until they are properly poisoned, then fly off and use their newfound power to pursue larger prey.

Wurmple venom is so weak that it takes days to wound any living thing. It evolved precisely to maximize the power of Swellow by tricking their bodies into fighting like their life depended on it while doing little actual damage. Those Wurmple whose venom is most effective find Swellow warning off the local predators with threats of eating them, and gain experience each time they return for their aid. It is these Wurmple who typically survive to evolve into Silcoon or Cascoon, because practicing on Swellow is the only way for Wurmple to grow their skill without being knocked out or eaten.

When Wurmple evolve, their venom becomes too dangerous, so Swellow carry them into the safest treetops they can find as a reward for their service. Eventually, they become Beautifly or Dustox and lay countless eggs: the cycle begins anew.


	266. Silcoon

Unlike Metapod and Kakuna who sit immobile and helpless in trees, their only defense a hard shell which can be broken by most pokemon given sufficient persistence, Silcoon are capable of escaping from battle. They rarely run from pokemon trainers, for they prefer the safety of a pokeball to the danger of the wilderness, yet the danger which they fear does not come from other pokemon.

The silk bodies which Silcoon possess are thought to be an adaptation to make themselves as unappetizing as possible, for in this phase these pokemon have no natural predators. Yet silk's usage in comfortable clothing has made them an alluring target for Man; they were once so commonly hunted for it that it is from Silcoon that silk gets its name. Early artifacts show Silcoon as ovals, noticably lacking the few stray strands so common in modern depictions. From the late Heian period until the early Sengoku era, there is no evidence of a single Beautifly in all of Hoenn; the only Silcoon were unfortunate Wurmple born of Dustox mothers, and they were soon harvested by hunters.

Modern Silcoon survived not because of evolution, but because of a technique whose development is still too far in its infancy for them to use it in battle, although Cascoon have mirrored it in shape as a delivery method for Poison Sting. By spinning threads together, they learned to create an ever-shifting number of spiky silk limbs, which modern Silcoon use to swing across branches and run along the ground to escape danger. Their evasive skill is an even match for human ingenuity, for although Silcoon hunters are as numerous as ever, Silcoon are once again as numerous as Cascoon in the wild; the hunters are no more dangerous than Cascoon's natural predators.


	267. Beautifly

Although they belong to neither of the two types, steel and dark, which have so often confounded and developed our understanding of the elements, there is no pokemon more associated with alchemists than the Beautifly. Unlike most pokemon, whose attacks are developed entirely internally, a Beautifly's thorax is so small and fragile that attacks from Stun Spore to Bug Buzz are produced in plain view on their multicolored yet semi-transparent wings.

Many an alchemist has spent their life studying Beautifly in the hope of infinite wealth by discovering the secret of how to turn Silver Wind into silver coins or simply pure, solid silver. Although they failed to even teach this pokemon Pay Day, they discovered a great deal about how pokemon attacks worked. Although these moves have never been taught to other pokemon, they first learned how to mix Beautifly's status powders such as Stun Spore and Sleep Powder for themselves, and were employed by bodyguards and assassins for their mastery of these chemicals. The first Move Tutors in Hoenn are descended from Beautifly alchemists, although the two groups diverged in the centuries when alchemy became impossible after Silcoon were hunted to virtual extinction for their silk. When Beautifly spread their wings again across Hoenn's skies, a more scientific age developed the first technical machines in Hoenn (and arguably in all the pokemon world) from attacks such as Attract and Giga Drain. However, because Hoenn's numbering system is not based on discovery date, but on alphabetical order in Hoenn's ancient script, these techniques are actually numbered fairly high in the TM registry.

Ironically, this science sparked by Beautifly's wings has been of little use to them in combat; their best attacks, Quiver Dance and Bug Buzz, are learned without any help from the masters of pokemon alchemy and chemistry.


	268. Cascoon

Every Cascoon remembers each injury they suffer in this helpless phase, and when they evolve, will return like a ghost to avenge these wounds tenfold. Yet despite this reputation, there are many who give them ample reason for vengeance. No wild pokemon has learned to avoid Cascoon, and a few particularly sadistic ones toss them out of trees, walk over them, or attempt in vain to crack their nigh-unbreakable shells.

A strange tradition in Hoenn assures people that they can not die if a living Cascoon holds a grudge against them, so the elderly march out into the forests whenever they fear death to abuse Cascoon; half die of Dustox venom before other causes can end their lives. Whoever first spread this rumor must have hated Cascoon even more than Cascoon hate their abusers, for he has wrought a vengeance upon them all more terrible than they can even dream. For a Dustox to hatch out of their Cascoon shell, they must both have suffered a wound, however slight, and grown powerful enough to avenge it. (Cascoon trainers send them to battle against weak wild pokemon so that they may evolve quickly and need not exert a brutal revenge.) Most Cascoon are wounded multiple times before evolution until they someday hatch to take their vengeance on each foe, starting with the strongest.

Yet even the most determined and powerful of these pokemon may find their efforts stymied and spend generations in this form, hurt yet unchanging, for the living may not harm the dead. They wait a terrible eon until the wheel of life turns and they find someone they think to be the reincarnation of their tormenter. This is why the most tortured and mutilated victims of Dustox are those who have never even stepped on a Cascoon.


	269. Dustox

Travelers to Hoenn will often note the paucity of outdoor lights in the region. Streetlights are rare, as are outdoor lights on houses, and some trainers will even recommend making their pokemon use Flash in cities for self-defense: stargazers flock there because it is much easier to see the night skies.

When outdoor lighting was first installed in Hoenn, lights judged safe by neighboring regions, an epidemic of Dustox poisoning spread with every installment of light. Dustox are a vengeful pokemon who spread their venom with every flap of their wings; a slow-acting but painful poison which can be fatal in large quantities, but is usually only concentrated enough to even be noticed when a Dustox is trailing someone to avenge harm it suffered as a Cascoon.

Dustox, however, are also inexorably drawn to certain colors of light. Night after night the Dustox congregated around the streets of Hoenn's cities, and as lighting expanded a mysterious new pandemic decimated Hoenn's population. Modernity itself was blamed, and desperate mobs of luddites smashed lights, potions, and anything else thought to be disapproved of by the gods. By the time a young physician realized that the strange new disease was not caused by some strange new virus or bacteria, but by Dustox poisoning, and could be addressed with nothing more than bug repellent around lights, every light in Hoenn had already been smashed and a government fearing revolution if they did not act had sought to ban even the stars.

The laws which darkened Hoenn are gone now with the passage of time, and lights surrounded by bug spray were eventually erected on a few city streets many decades later. Yet though the laws passed in its aftermath are gone, this painful historical memory still darkens Hoenn to this day.


	270. Lotad

The single, enormous leaf on a Lotad's head is nearly encircled by a raised, solid ridge, with a small triangular indentation in the back. The leaf is tilted slightly towards this indentation, for rainwater must drip from this leaf onto a Lotad's permeable back to provide them with the nutrients they need to survive. Pouring water directly onto their bodies is useless; the water must be pure and drain from their leaf in order to nourish a Lotad.

Older, larger Lotad gain extra energy by acting as ferries for small and starving pokemon, who give them what little food they have left to be allowed to ride their leaf across a river or small stretch of sea. It is easy for humans to mistake the sight of a group of Lotad floating across a river, carrying tiny pokemon such as Wurmple or Skitty on their leaves, for a peaceful sign of nature's beauty. For the pokemon riding them, however, it is a grim and dangerous voyage of exploration.

A Lotad's leaf is slippery and tilted towards the back; staying on board is a constant and strenuous effort. Lotad make no efforts to pick up drowned passengers, for allowing their leaves to touch river water would expose them to dangerous microbes, rendering them incapable of processing rainwater. Few survive this journey, but their progeny soon multiply into flourishing new colonies, for Lotad are such knowledgeable navigators that some pokemon continue to use them even when boats are available.

Perhaps it is this dangerous journey taken by so many pokemon into the unknown which inspired the ancient belief in Hoenn that in order to be reincarnated, one must first ride a giant Lotad across the river of the dead.


	271. Lombre

Lombre are renowned as pranksters and mischief-makers, but most stick to established tricks. For instance, they are known to submerge themselves in water save for the large leaf atop their head, only to stand up and fling any pokemon which lands on them back to the other side of the water. In one infamous pokemon league championship, over a hundred years before this writing, a gang of Lombre did something far greater.

Sixteen Lombre, disguised as impish children with large hats, purchased standing-room tickets, entered the arena, and watched the first three of each trainers' pokemon fall without incident. When a Mismagius sung its perish song, they created an uproar and fans covered their ears and ran away in terror. The Lombre made their way down to the arena's front row and watched as a Rhyperior gave nearly everything it had to defeat an Alakazam, then spent a couple minutes battling a Charizard, cheering along with the crowd.

And then the Lombre opened their mouths wide and sixteen hydro pumps rained across the arena and easily knocked out both combatants. A confused judge awarded victory to the Charizard's trainer until the other trainers' fans stormed the field. Both trainers, enraged by the attack but fearful for their pokemon's lives after such severe injuries, rushed to the Indigo pokemon center. Initial news accounts blamed malfunctioning sprinklers activating in a delayed reaction from the Charizard's attack; the Lombre escaped unharmed.

Only interviews with fans in the front row days later established the truth of that match's events. The Lombre responsible were never caught, and both injuries and damage from the riots prevented a make-up match, although both trainers would meet again in next year's final.

It is to this day the only tournament since the founding of the League without a champion.


	272. Ludicolo

In the desert called Orre, wild pokemon are extremely rare and one will rarely even see trained pokemon of the grass or water type. Yet between the oasis towns which dot the region, deep in the desert where only the bravest venture, is the world's only known wild population of Ludicolo.

In one of Orre's two traditional religions, Ludicolo are revered as rainmakers, and whenever a drought lasts too long or the rainy season comes late, whole towns dance at once like Ludicolo and hand out both maracas and large hats based on a Ludicolo's head. If a domestic Ludicolo is in the community, it will lead the dance, and having one is thought to increase the chance of rain; many towns send their bravest trainers out deep in the desert to catch one for the rain dance.

In Orre's other historic religion, Ludicolo are reviled as thieves of water. The land is said to have become desert not only because of Flareon trainers, but also because Ludicolo hoard the local water supply into magic stones which let them evolve. A Ludicolo's ability to be healed by water is thought of as proof of their greed, and whenever a drought lasts too long or the rainy season comes late, the bravest trainers in the land ride out deep into the desert. Their goal is to capture Ludicolo so they can be sacrificed to the gods, but if they must kill them in battle, this too is seen as a noble deed.

Needless to say, with these two opposite faiths droughts and seasons often led to war. Today, science has overcome them both in the hearts of most trainers, but some like Miror B. of Cipher still train or hunt Ludicolo, for they still believe in the rain gods of old.


	273. Seedot

Small enough to fit under a large hat or a deep pocket, and light enough to be carried around without difficulty, Seedot were among the most valuable tools of the shinobi in the golden age of ninja. Although most of the techniques they learn are useless against human soldiers, let alone militarily trained pokemon, a Seedot kept small long after their brethren evolve into Nuzleaf learns two enormously valuable attacks for a ninja's mission of spreading chaos. Not only can they intensify sunlight, blinding enemies and feeding fires, but they can also explode in a giant cloud of light, giving their trainer ample time to escape after an attack.

Many of the ninja would even carry two or more Seedot for extra ease of disappearance, although this carried risks; a famous ninja thought to be extremely overweight was once caught when a Seedot fell out of his armor, and after capture, he was revealed to be a thin man who appeared otherwise because he had stuffed his clothing with ten Seedot. In time, the smoke bomb and the pokeball gave the ninja better tools and bigger explosions, and Seedot's role as the ninja pokemon faded from public memory.

Today, Seedot are absent from the tall grass of Fuchsia City, unused by its gym leaders and unseen in the trees above. They are known as the acorn pokemon, depicted as falling out of the trees from which they once kept watch as sentries, for no reason other than to hit people on the head. There are those who say they remain watching and training, learning hidden tactics more valuable than Explosion, but have become a secret weapon too zealously concealed for any but a skilled shinobi to notice even their presence.


	274. Nuzleaf

Just as the song of a Poke Flute can wake a pokemon in the deepest of trances, the leaf of a Nuzleaf when properly whipped through the wind can wipe away even the most dire injuries a fainted pokemon may suffer. Yet pokemon centers will only call upon the expertise of Nuzleaf for the gravest of injuries, for like a Poke Ball in reverse, a Nuzleaf's power can make even the most tame and loyal pokemon forget that they ever had a trainer.

In remote areas of Hoenn, where true healers were unavailable, pokemon training took a decisively different character. Although their culture demanded that every pokemon was given a name, trainers strove not to grow too attached to their pokemon, for no matter how hard they tried defeat would inevitably someday return their comrades to the wilderness from where they came. Instead, the people of rural Hoenn scouted the wild for what powerful pokemon would inevitably return there, and learned not how one or two teams operated, but an entire metagame of techniques; the canonical texts of pokemon strategy unsurprisingly were written in this region, although they would in time be supplanted by a university which began as a school for Koffing trainers.

When the outside world was at last linked by road to these small towns, Chansey came with the changes of modern life to replace Nuzleaf at pokemon centers. But the ways of old were not forever lost. A contest based on the ways of the Nuzleaf-healed has spread as far as Unova and is beloved by countless trainers. They must fight every gym in a region and walk the routes in between, but may no longer use any who fall in battle, to simulate how they would be released into the wild in that era.


	275. Shiftry

Like the legendary beasts who race around Johto, so does the Shifting Forest travel through Hoenn, never in the same place long enough to be found and documented, and often dismissed as an unusually persistent and similarly described myth. This forest does not solely get its name from its frequent journeys, to which many other words could equally apply, but also from the large population of wild Shiftry which patrol its edges. Whenever a passing human is spotted, the Shiftry in unison wave the giant, leafy fan-hands, and with such precision that they do not cut a single root, send the forest, dirt and all, flying on the winds to its next location.

Some have speculated that the reason Shiftry so zealously guard their forest from human interlopers is a fear of loggers, while others claim poachers or pokemon trainers to be a far greater concern; surely, few lumberjacks in the age this forest was first recorded could have stood up to Shiftry in battle. A brave few have entered the forest over the centuries; some by descending from flying pokemon, others by abusing quirks of teleportation, or digging, or simple expert stealth.

What they find in it, without fail, is less interesting than the Shiftry themselves. The lumber is brittle, the pokemon primarily Seedot, with a few others no less common thrown in; if a rare and powerful pokemon is truly at its center, it is even better than the forest itself at evading contact. It appears to man at this point that the Shifting Forest is simply a display of power and soltitude, motivated less by the riches of which treasure-seekers dream than the wish of wild pokemon to grow powerful without trainers, to show off their wind-based attacks, and to create their own legend.


	276. Taillow

Although all but unknown in the lands north of Hoenn, Taillow are known throughout the tropics and subtropics as the great colonists of the pokemon world. There is no warm island known in the pokemon world large enough to contain a tree and worms which Taillow have not once roosted on. Although they are often driven out by more powerful native pokemon, the courage with which they fight has often allowed them to establish themselves as one of the most common pokemon of the area; wherever they are expelled from by superior predators, they will always return to fight for food and pride another day.

Even in this age of stable climates, the journey of an individual Taillow can be easily mistaken for that of the great naval explorers of old; most can claim to have circumnavigated the earth at least once. But in times when Heatran filled the sky with volcanic ash that blotted out the sun, Taillow could find nowhere to land. In these awful years, they flew through the freezing cold like Delibird, carrying flame orbs and growing stronger for them until they landed where they could find warmth, in Sinnoh near the very mountain where Heatran had erupted.

It was these journeys which carried Taillow as far north as Sinnoh, and many other pokemon to boot. Taillow are known for eating eggs and seeds, but their digestive system often does little more than drain a few nutrients, leaving the pokemon inside very much alive. Likewise, the larva of many bug pokemon cling to them as parasites.

The Poke Radar of Sinnoh operates by using traces of Taillow DNA to find the rare and foreign pokemon they introduced to that land which have spread beyond Stark Mountain and the Battle Zone.


	277. Swellow

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Swellow's two long, narrow tails and remarkably sharp eyesight have given them perfect accuracy, an ability which humans have long been eager to exploit. Early air forces were often composed of Swellow, who dropped Voltorb out of the sky at enemy troop formations or the weak points of castles; it is for this reason that castles in Hoenn are often said to resemble blockhouses more than the pagodas of neighboring lands.

However, Swellow's perfect accuracy was long held to be a figure of speech; they were a common pokemon, not a mythic hero, and surely their accuracy had some limit. It was only after shooting numerous probes through the sea of stars and missing that, in desparation, the Mossdeep Space Center's head decided to try training a flock of Swellow to aim space probes. Although the heat generated by the rocket launch singed their wings badly and knocked out half of them, they successfully launched the first space probe to successfully photograph the moon. (Improvements in pokemon space suits have made these launches much safer in more recent years.) Probes aimed by Swellow from Mossdeep have photographed most of the solar system, but also caught the attention of Deoxys, who attacked the Space Center about a decade ago to protect the secrets of outer space. Only the brave sacrifices and military skill of the Swellow aiming corps, along with some well-improvised space suits, saved astronomy in Hoenn from absolute ruin.

It is the salvation of the sport of pokemon battle that Swellow are incapable of learning techniques such as Sheer Cold or Guillotine which knock out pokemon instantly, for if they could, no other pokemon would be able to fight back. Instead, despite their supreme speed and accuracy, these glass cannons aim for the stars.


	278. Wingull

To the partisans of Kyogre in the great eternal war which literally shapes Hoenn, Wingull is also known as the bird of victory.

Wingull spend their days flying above either the open ocean or those perpertual battlefields between land and sea called beaches. Whenever a wild Wingull is carried inland by wind currents or simply explores too far in that direction, it is almost always shot down and killed by Groudon worshipers, who fear their use in reconnaissance and espionage and despise them for being water pokemon. Team Aqua and its predecessors have historically used Wingull spies, after all, although they were far better trained in stealth than their wild counterparts.

Wingull is called the bird of victory because the only time when they can venture inland unharmed is after the sea triumphs over the land in battle. With no one left who is capable of knocking them out of the skies, their long, white, blue-striped wings take on the character of a flag of triumph, soaring triumphantly over the home of a vanquished foe who can offer no further resistance.

But although pokemon and trainers fighting for Kyogre and Groudon wage war again and again, the sea merely gains or loses territory; it never disappears or becomes strong enough to swallow Hoenn whole. Until the forces of Groudon regroup and rejuvenate, the victorious corsairs loot at will, and none do better than Wingull, the great pirates of the avian world. While whole cities, their armies beaten, move themselves inland to survive, these pokemon take their chance to loot everything from valuable jewels to poke balls in their long beaks. And then the Wingull carry their loot away, either to ransom it back for food or to line their opulent nests, and they wait for water's next conquest.


	279. Pelipper

Pelipper have traversed the North Pole, conquered the tip of Mount Coronet, reached the heart of Orre's desert, and found countless treasures and explored countless inaccessible lands in between. This is not because of any inherent drive these pokemon possess for exploration, but because their unique combination of skills make them the perfect friend of any human explorer who does dream of seeking out the dangerous and unknown.

Like most water-type pokemon, Pelipper generate water within their own bodies, and their large bills allow them to store a much greater volume of it than most of their counterparts. The bill can also be used for scavenging a wide variety of other supplies from timber to iron, a task at which they often continue long beyond when their human companions are exhausted from the effort. They are skilled at preventing exhaustion, for they can learn ice attacks and their large wings make surprisingly good fans. And perhaps most importantly, Pelipper are extremely useful in traversing terrain, for they can both swim and fly and know few obstacles in air or sea, and are large and strong enough to pull equipment and comfortably carry a rider while doing both. And although they can not heal their comrades, their endurance is excellent and like most flying pokemon, they know how to tend to their wounds while roosting.

Explorers are rarely content with a simple race and often attempt to sabotage their rivals. And at both carrying out and preventing sabotage, Pelipper are often dead weight, for a single bolt of thunder from most electric pokemon can leave them unable to battle. Yet even when they seem unconscious to observers, Pelipper can continue to swim and fly, relying on the directions of their trainer to carry them wherever they wish to go.


	280. Ralts

The horns on a Ralts' head allow them to sense emotions in sentient life; they share happiness and sorrow with their trainers, are frightened by anger, and sway gently when they sense nervousness, all of these reactions growing in intensity with those of the feelings they detect. Needless to say, this ability to sense the nature and strength of human emotions have made Ralts a remarkably useful diagnostic tool since the development of psychiatry. In more recent years, and in some ancient and forgotten ones, Ralts were used in a different science, for detecting the existence of emotions can be as valuable as detecting their power.

Whether as attempts to build a true AI, to create godless killing machines, or as accidental byproducts of technology, humans have at times created new species of pokemon. Whenever they did, it was a Ralts which detected the moment these new creatures gained sentience. For some, like Porygon's creator Bill, this was a joyous occasion, or at least it was one until his Ralts began to share the intense stress that shortened the first Porygon's life. For others, such as Giovanni of Team Rocket, Ralts' reaction was a disturbing sign, for Mewtwo was never intended to be a thinking creature, merely a living weapon. And in ancient Unova, Ralts' reaction was an incredible surprise, for the people who had designed Golurk as mobile suits had never even imagined they would take on a spirit of their own, and only realized the sounds they made were the language of pokemon when their Ralts reacted to their heroic dreams with a powerful aura of their own.

A Ralts' expressions are simply the reflection of the emotions of others; what they truly feel is forever unseen. Perhaps they are the loneliest pokemon of all.


	281. Kirlia

The images projected by Kirlia are not simply the product of their imaginations, but pictures of a vast multiverse which they and only a few far more powerful psychics and legends can see. To these people, Kirlia are the world's best window into the unknown.

Although science is at times skeptical of the discoveries claimed by some Kirlia, for these pokemon are also capable of illusion, their dimensional sight has made an enormous impact on the popular understanding of the many worlds beyond our own. From the bizarre architecture and floating platforms of the Distortion World, to the abominations of Glitch City, to the pristine White Forest of ancient times which shall someday be built into the hyper-industrial Black City of the future, Kirlia have entertained many with the fascinating and beautiful dreams of worlds far beyond our own comprehension. Giratina is often credited with controlling dimensions as Dialga does time, but if it does, it has given this strange psychic pokemon some portion of its power. Kirlia are used for religious purposes in Sinnoh among Giratina's followers, but this can not compare to their use for exploration, for religion is merely one facet of Man's desire to understand the unknown.

What ordinary Kirlia can not do is offer a pathway to these worlds, although certainly many have tried. The strain of opening the dimensional gate and not simply projecting the other side is theoretically manageable, but only a few powerful yet poorly-documented Kirlia have ever claimed to manage it. Yet great trainers still flock to these pokemon, give them Everstones, and strive to make them as strong as possible, for once you have conquered this world, what is there to do but explore another?


	282. Gardevoir

Gardevoir are often called the embrace pokemon, and many are known to be affectionate towards their trainers. This is not the sort of embrace which gives them this title. The embrace which gives Gardevoir their title is a stellar yet terrifying thing, an embrace so tight not even light can escape, an embrace not used on their trainer, but on their trainer's enemies in dire situations: a miniature black hole.

When truly lightless areas were discovered in distant space, they were properly likened to this attack, and humanity wondered how Gardevoir were capable of creating something so similar to a cosmic phenomenon. Some theorized that Ralts themselves were made from the same material as the stars, and that they are somehow able to channel their final phase, a black hole, into an attack once they evolve to their most powerful form. This theory was rejected on the grounds that the Ralts line is psychic-type, not fire-type, but this led to further questions on what precisely is meant by a "psychic" pokemon.

The currently accepted theory of Gardevoir's black hole redefines the psychic type itself, suggesting that "psychic" attacks rely not on control of the enemy's mind, but on the manipulation of light and gravity to confuse and wound the defending pokemon. They no more perform psychic techniques than a street illusionist performs magic, but like them use a variety of expert skills to make people think they can bend the laws of reality. If this is the case, Gardevoir's black hole technique is the ultimate psychic attack, for it relies on command of both gravity and light to create a power so strong it needs no trickery to work, for it can devour all.

Or perhaps there is no black hole to begin with, just one remarkable illusion.


	283. Surskit

Unlike the overwhelming majority of water pokemon, Surskit are incapable of swimming; instead, they walk along the water's surface. Although a single Surskit can not carry a passenger, two can be strapped to human feet like skates and ridden atop the surface of the water. Learning to ride successfully requires intense training on the part of both Surskit and their rider, for it depends upon on all three reading one another perfectly and learning perfect balance; the rider on their small, round, swiftly-moving Surskit, the Surskit on the water despite the heavy, slowly shifting weight of a trainer.

We know this fact not because of some elaborate research, but because a sport played on Surskit is often known as Hoenn's national pastime, although in this age pokemon battles and contests are far more popular. The sport originated as a religious ritual where certain neutral communities would decide who to support in the continual war by inviting a champion from each side who would attempt to guide a live Seedot into the mouth of either a Pelipper or a Gligar, representing Kyogre and Groudon respectively. Both targets would move around a cube of air high in the sky ringed by tree branches and try to catch the Seedot like a goalkeeper in reverse. Holding the ball was illegal, but everything else was fair game, even jumping, although this was only used for scoring opportunities, as landing would usually throw the rider off their pokemon.

In later years, as the game lost its military-religious significance, any pokemon capable of flight could become the goal. Often, trainers would continue to use their champion Surskit in this manner when they evolved into Masquerain. Live Seedot have been replaced with rounded poffins as the people lost their appetite for bloodlust, but the game continues on.


	284. Masquerain

A single question has always vexed those who attempted to battle against Masquerain: how do you fight what you're too afraid to see? Masquerain have only been depicted in art from certain angles, their wings half-eyeballs, not full ones, for their true appearance is said to drive men and pokemon to madness if viewed directly, so all avert their eye-patterned wings as though they were locked in combat with the sun. Photographs and videos are typically safe to view, but the cameramen always insist in between babbling horrific nonsense that what they captured looks little like the real thing.

The strategies used to fight Masquerain are manifold but ineffective. Mammalian pokemon attempt to fight by scent, but the various spores these pokemon unleash not only cripple their foes but make scent no more reliable than sight. Other pokemon use wide-range or homing attacks to increase their odds of a clean hit, but these attacks are rarely the most powerful moves possessed by their users. Pokemon unable to fall back on either of these tactics simply rely on peripheral vision and careful, deliberate attacks, and regain a surprising level of accuracy at the cost of power. Whatever strategy they use, however, pokemon must grapple with the fact that their equally blinded trainer is unable to judge the health of their target.

The best way to defeat a Masquerain is to make it defeat itself. A Masquerain's true eyes are so remarkably sharp that they can see their own reflection wherever rain falls. To avoid going mad, they fold up their wings and descend to the ground instantly, where they attempt in vain to fight by skating on the water like Surskit. It is for this reason that Masquerain alone can not fly through storms, but are grounded by a drizzle.


	285. Shroomish

The question of how Shroomish obtain energy has often vexed researchers, for the ordinary methods are completely inapplicable in this case. Shroomish are not skillful battlers, so they are unable to hunt and gain experience in that manner, and even if they were, their forest homes are full of bug and flying pokemon which possess a type advantage against them. They are fungi, so they can not perform photosynthesis, although a plant in the dark forests they call home would find little light to nourish them either. Yet unlike most fungi, the shape of a Shroomish leaves them incapable of performing decomposition; their small mouth is useful only for shouting attack names.

Instead, Shroomish use special spores to drain energy and experience from the surrounding pokemon from a distance. These spores weaken the target's health to replenish Shroomish like Leech Seeds, but if the target is triumphant, they also transfer half the experience gained in battle to their master. Their spores can remain dormant for when Shroomish would benefit more from a champion than a meal,or they can be strengthened to make the host sleep even through a pokemon battle when a spore-carrier becomes too dangerous. Although Shroomish appear at constant rest, they are always commanding small armies of spores, activating and de-activating them to hasten their evolution.

Shroomish have no natural predators, for all have learned the folly of attempting to make them a meal. If one is slain, the spore which has fed the most blossoms into a new Shroomish, possessed of all the power and knowledge and spore network of their parent; the old Shroomish vanishes into dust. And yet they vanish often, as their hosts regard them as thieves; when they discover the parasitic spores they smash them and seek to regain their power through revenge.


	286. Breloom

The first king of Hoenn had no fear of losing his throne to rebellion nor a dagger in the night, for his army was strong and his pokemon stronger. But he had made countless enemies in the process of unification and was terrified of poison. And this fear was justified, for he ran through so many human taste-testers that even he became unnerved by the carnage.

The Lord of Petalburg was implicated in a poisoning attempt and sentenced to die by tasting the king's food. To save his life, he told the king of a species of pokemon called Breloom which was healed by eating poison, yet was not a poison-type so meals could be shared safely. The king pardoned him, but seized one of his Breloom for the task.

For five years, this Breloom was imprisoned in a cage except during meals and beaten by the king's pokemon guard, so that when he was released to test the king's food he would be able to regain his health. He called constantly for the Lord of Petalburg, now an important noble at court, but he could not respond for this Breloom was never both free from his cage and far from the king's side.

At one feast, the king commanded the court's pokemon battle for his entertainment, and the Lord of Petalburg took his chance. He entered his second Breloom, which opened the match with Double Team and in the confusion switched places with the king's taste-tester. This Breloom had the other ability of its species; it was not healed by poison, but spread poisonous, stunning, or sedative spores into otherwise harmless items. When the king made him taste his bread, it became poisoned; when the king ate the bread, it killed him and his kingdom vanished into civil war.


	287. Slakoth

There are two types of people who see themselves in the Slakoth and therefore become their trainers. The first are the procrastinators and layabouts, who see in this pokemon a warning of where their habits could lead, and train them to have a comrade (or perhaps someone to look down on) in a life which seems a constant struggle against laziness. They claim to have succeeded when their Slakoth evolve into Vigoroth, although they sadly revert to their old habits more easily than their pokemon.

The second are the ascetics – typically monks with an extreme devotion to their faith, although in this modern era some seek nothing more than a respite from a busy world. They admire Slakoth for their ability to block out their surroundings, to stand stoically against chaos even if it leaves them vulnerable in the middle of a pokemon battle. They see them as great thinkers and dreamers and have spent endless hours decoding this pokemon's speech, to see what so many hours spent lost in thought can reveal. Many have spent as much time translating as thinking, and today Slakoth's language is understood far better than most other pokemon. These ascetics return to society only when their Slakoth become Vigoroth, and see in Slaking a step just removed from enlightenment; many of them also brew Gastro Acid potions, and surprise the public with their remarkable skill in pokemon battles.

Yet these two groups, seemingly so different, are more often than not comprised of the same people at different stages in their life. A procrastinator finds discipline through an ascetic's path, but a devoted ascetic grows lazy from the strain of their routine and their detachment from external society. Only the Slakoth know how to balance such a life, but they refuse to inform anyone.


	288. Vigoroth

Vigoroth are considered among the most difficult pokemon to train, even though they are fairly powerful and will obey any command except one: Rest. These pokemon are awake twenty-four hours a day and spend none of those hours in anything remotely approaching relaxation. The pokeball, so often a means of ensuring a trainer's rest as much as their pokemon's, can not contain them long. Most trainers install exercise equipment near their homes or take their Vigoroth to a park to give them something to do at night, but they must still train themselves beyond apparent human limitations simply to keep up.

It was once said, as a way of explaining this restlessness, that Slakoth laze so they can store energy and when they can store no more they evolve into Vigoroth. When they became Vigoroth, they burn up that stored energy constantly until it runs out and they evolve (or perhaps devolve) into Slaking. Although this explanation is not taken seriously today, for Slakoth survive on a minimal number of leaves and Everstones can delay evolution, it does raise the question of just how Vigoroth can maintain such a vital spirit without eating like a Snorlax.

Some have speculated that Vigoroth are a sort of living perpetual motion machine and have taught them to turn generators in order to harness their nigh-infinite power. In some places they have replaced the Pikachu and Shinx normally used to create electricity, despite most of them not even knowing a single electric attack. Although the concept of a perpetual motion pokemon would require the laws of physics to be completely rewritten, research into Vigoroth metabolism has concluded nothing more than a striking dissimilarity to all other living things. The idea that Vigoroth defy thermodynamics has yet to be proven wrong.


	289. Slaking

Although today they are explained as Vigoroth running out of energy, this is an area where religion contradicts folk explanations. According to scripture, Slaking became lazy because Arceus sealed their power, for they possessed the strength to overthrow the gods. Able to beat ordinary pokemon easily, they challenged the gods to battle after battle. Although each Slaking won as many matches as they lost, there were far more Slaking than gods; before long, the gods retreated to the heavens. Now unopposed, the Slaking proceeded to shape the world with their massive power as the gods had before them.

The story of the Slaking has two contradictory endings which theologians feud over and apologists try in vain to explain away. The first is that Slaking were an accident, a pokemon to whom Arceus had given too much power. When they created nothing but chaos beyond chaos, Arceus decided to seal their power. This is proof that Arceus is not omniscient; Arceus had created a species too powerful for Arceus' own designs and sealed their energy to correct that error.

The second school of thought ascribe to Arceus omniscience of all except the divine, but not omnipotence, merely an enormous creative power. In this view, Slaking were intended to dominate the earth as the gods dominated the heavens. Yet the other gods were protective of their own power over the earth, and loathed the Slaking for treating them as nothing more than strong pokemon, so they revolted and forced Arceus to seal their power. Arceus, forbidden from creating life which could physically best the gods, yet determined to grant mortal life the power to rule the earth, created a creature whose power was not dependent not on raw strength, but on intelligence, language, and the opposable thumb. And Arceus called it Man.


	290. Nincada

A Nincada's eyes are useless and they spit no poisons, yet they are beloved by the ninja, for their antennae hear much more than the speakers wish to be heard. Their adept digging allows them to tunnel easily below houses, and their remarkable senses allow them to not only sense the words of someone three stories above them, but their heart rate and breathing as well. This is why it is said that Nincada hear the truth while others hear only words, although this is something of an exaggeration; even they can be fooled by a good enough liar.

Nincada are also why political and corporate secrets today are universally discussed on the fourth floor of skyscrapers or higher. Yet this is a poor precaution at best. The office buildings where open and secret meetings alike are held are full of desks covered in messy papers, and when Nincada fold up their wings, it is all too easy to mistake them for works of origami. The indoors is not nearly as dangerous to these pokemon as the open air; their wings, designed for secret bases and underground caverns, work just as well for ascending staircases at night. The employers and trainers of Nincada are not often ninja today, at least not in the traditional sense, although the clans of Fuchsia City certainly maintain their share.

Yet this era has no shortage of secrets, nor a shortage of those who will pay vast sums to learn them. There are indeed ways to keep things hidden from Nincada, such as writing or e-mail, but all of them leave far wider trails for the human spies who train them to follow. The only reliable way to keep a secret is the same in every age: you must never share it with anyone.


	291. Ninjask

It is said that while Pidgeot move faster than sound, Ninjask move faster than light. This is an exaggeration, at least in the latter pokemon's case; it is more accurate to say Ninjask are much faster than the optic nerve and the brain. This saying recalls another connection between these two pokemon: because Ninjask are well able to outfly any predator except Pidgeot, it is thought that the Ninjask's high speed developed as a means of evading them, although a Pidgeot who approaches from behind can sometimes take advantage of Ninjask's poor acceleration and sink their talons into one.

Yet if this theory explains the initial development of their speed, it does little to explain the exponential speed boosts which Ninjask gain in mid-flight. As many trainers have learned to their chagrin, a Ninjask which has been allowed to fly for too long becomes all but impossible to hit and will usually defeat six pokemon with ease. When other pokemon try to attack them, they appear to make contact when using special attacks, yet Ninjask continue flying without even a scratch; with physical attacks, the body part used moves through the Ninjask like it was using Double Team. Only techniques with perfect accuracy or pokemon who have studied its flight patterns can hit Ninjask's astronomical speed. The rest score a direct hit on where the Ninjask was a few seconds ago and can only lose; whenever only one pokemon can attack, that pokemon, however weak its techniques, will inevitably be the victor.

The true secret of how modern Ninjask gained their speed can be found in Fuchsia City. The method of breeding they used is known only to the Koga clan, but their motive is transparent: what ninja wouldn't want a pokemon too quick to be seen?


	292. Shedinja

There is no pokemon which evolves that does not lose some part of itself through the process of evolution. And even species which do not undergo such a dramatic metamorphosis, such as humans and non-evolving pokemon, often find that they left something important behind in exchange for strength and maturity. In no species, however, is this transformation nearly as painful as in the Nincada, who are split in two; an extremely fast and fairly powerful bug named Ninjask, and a fragile spirit of childhood called Shedinja.

It is said that Shedinja steal spirits, but this is a poor understanding of the personality changes they can create. People who stare into the backs of Shedinja change dramatically, but it is less a loss than a reversion; that part of their personality they lost comes to the forefront. It does not take the form of a Charizard saying Charmander or anything of that sort, but of an idealistic person or pokemon remembering what they once loved and following their forgotten dreams.

Yet to the world they live in, such idealism and passion is seen as only fit for children. Perhaps this is why so many children come out of nowhere to become Pokemon League Champion. Shedinja may not be much use in a battle, but there is much we can learn from them all the same; they do not steal our spirits, but restore them to their proper form.


	293. Whismur

When a habitat with many pokemon is wiped out to be replaced by a single species, that species is usually Man. This has happened before humanity; a couple million years ago, as a recent surprise find in Rusturf Tunnel has shown, Whismur are just as capable of driving out other life and making land their own. This is made even more remarkable by the fact that this was Whismur and not their evolved forms. The low height of this natural tunnel makes it a poor habitat for Loudred and Exploud; even today, Whismur are usually seen leaving the tunnel to evolve.

One can only surmise that, given the extremely loud noises Whismur even today are known for creating and the acoustics of the tunnel, which have the effect of dramatically amplifying sound, many of the native pokemon did not die so much as escape to protect their sense of hearing; indeed, many of the species the fossil record reveals in Rusturf do not show a single member with punctured eardrums.

Yet others, sadly, are far more numerous. Zubat in particular were extremely disoriented, for they rely on echolocation, and no Zubat can hear their sonar in a tunnel of screaming Whismur. This explains the numerous Zubat fossils with punctured ears, and perhaps the Whismur cave entirely, for it is difficult to imagine such small pokemon overcoming a cave full of Zubat in combat without deafening them first. The same applies to Geodude, the other numerous pokemon in the tunnel, who did not live long enough to go deaf; the extremely loud noise was enough to shatter their bodies instantly.

A loss of biodiversity is an admittedly terrible thing, but perhaps the Rusturf Tunnel of Whismur is preferable to another cave of rare pokemon interspersed between Zubat and Geodude.


	294. Loudred

A Loudred's earsplitting cry is so loud that even the sturdiest of poke balls can do little to block the noise. Most Loudred trainers wear earplugs when in the presence of their pokemon to avoid going deaf, but this does nothing to reduce their impact on others. Even towns which give wide tolerance for loud noises often ban Loudred from entering the municipal limits, and those which allow them to enter typically have strict restriction of how long they can stay. Although large cities, more accustomed to loud noises, typically allow passing trainers to seek medical attention or a gym match, Loudred are still usually forbidden for residents and their trainers only allowed to stay for a few days.

Taken together, these restrictions mean that the most difficult thing about training Loudred is finding somewhere to put them. Trainers currently on a league challenge face less difficulty than most, especially if they travel without human companions who would complain about the noise. This is why many Loudred trainers become perpetual wanderers, calling nowhere home and challenging region after region with their pokemon. A few leave their Loudred in forests or tall grass far from civilization, often with some identifying mark to show it is a domestic pokemon. But most refuse this option, fearing both predators and that their Loudred would be mistaken for wild and caught by another trainer; either a well-meaning one making a genuine mistake, or an unscrupulous thief searching for a powerful pokemon.

Others try more inventive solutions. Many of the greats in the field of architectural acoustics were known to have trained Loudred, and they learned and discovered much about how sound worked in buildings in order to soften their pokemon's call and let their neighbors sleep in peace!


	295. Exploud

Although the word explode does in fact derive from Exploud, it is not because of any ability they have to actually explode. If that were the term's etymology, we would call exploding electroding as in the old Kanto dialect, for those pokemon are most strongly associated with the technique, or any number of other terms for other pokemon capable of learning how to detonate themselves. Instead, we call it exploding, after a pokemon which may not blow itself up, but has the remarkable ability to trigger detonations in others.

Although these pokemon are deaf and have been since birth, this works to their advantage, for Exploud can focus on the vibrations which their sonic attacks create, undisturbed by their actual sound. Unlike their earlier forms who could rely only on speakers and their voice, these pokemon use their numerous pipes to alter the volume and frequency of their calls, and one of the first things they discover is which sounds cause land mines, sticks of dynamite, bombs, or pokemon to explode at their command.

Ever since Exploud were first domesticated, explosives have been a rare weapon in Hoenn, used only for surprise, for they can be disarmed or turned against the user by an enemy pokemon's call. Yet what a surprise it is! A minefield in Hoenn is not an invisible wall, but a trap; soldiers charge across the field without a care in the world, and seconds before reaching the enemy the ground detonates beneath their feet and the whole army is lost! Although Electrode often form the mines in this sort of surprise attack, the pokemon bombs are outshined by bright light and debris and the loud call of "Exploud!" is the last thing any survivors hear before the blast.

**This **is why it is called exploding.


	296. Makuhita

Makuhita are not a particularly powerful species of pokemon, nor is there all that much about them which captures the imagination of beginning trainers. When they are captured it is not often from favoritism, but almost always because Makuhita are among the most common fighting-type pokemon in Hoenn. And there are a great many trainers, two of Hoenn's gym leaders among them, who struggle to deal with fighting pokemon. Yet rarely are they imagined as a permanent member on a trainer's team, and if they are it is only to cover weaknesses; usually, they are seen as mercenaries to be used for a single match and then either released to the wild or deposited in the pokemon storage system.

Yet few Makuhita are ever released, for their trainers soon find in them a determination matching or even exceeding their own. They will spend day and night lifting weights until they pass out, often continuing after their trainer has already fallen asleep, trying to overcome their natural fatigue to gain more time for training. Makuhita are known for trying to push over trees as a show of strength, although they never succeed in anything more than making them sway a bit or knocking out smaller pokemon like Shroomish and Slakoth. Yet they still count every inch they sway the branch as a minor victory, and they dream of the day when they will be able to shove down trees, roots and all.

And then their trainers grow to identify with their Makuhita and see them as not only temporary minions, but as the truest of comrades. After all, pokemon trainers and Makuhita alike want to be the very best.


	297. Hariyama

Much in the literal way that a Hariyama's powerful slap can wake even Snorlax from their dreams, Hariyama slaps are said to metaphorically "wake" people from being wrapped in their own world. The effectiveness of this is disputed, for a Hariyama slap is not effective treatment for those truly lost in delusions. Yet it is often used on television as a quick resolution for a character's detachment or selfishness, and it is common in Hoenn for people to send out or even hire a Hariyama as a last resort when someone they care for is acting in a similar way.

It is a last resort because a Hariyama's large size, strength, and enormous hands can cause injury even when they are being careful, and many Hariyama, trained to use these slaps in battle, are not particularly careful. These pokemon rank among the most common cause of concussions in humans and knock more teeth loose than the average hockey player. There are even peoplen left comatose when Hariyama hit them in the wrong spot.

Some of these comas are ended by another wake-up slap – these pokemon are still on the whole a boon to medicine, no matter how many extra cases they provide - but remain the same, as though they were never slapped. Others have alienated so many people that they can not find a Hariyama willing to wake them, so they spend years comatose - yet when they wake up, they have changed their ways for the better! Because at times, a Hariyama slap even works. And to most of Hoenn, this is worth it; it is quite telling that while assault by humans or other pokemon is illegal, there are no laws whatsoever in all of Hoenn against sending out a Hariyama to slap someone.


	298. Azurill

In areas where Azurill, not Marill, come out of Marill eggs, females make up three of every four births to Marill and Azumarill mothers. Yet after the Azurill evolve, males and females are equal. This is because an Azurill's large, bouncy tail is one of the most remarkable ways to store and alter genetic material that nature has ever devised; one based not on the circumstances of birth, but on ability and merit.

Unlike most rodents (and indeed mammalian pokemon), the reproductive organs of the Marill line are stored in the tail. In Azurill, and to a lesser extent in its evolutions, the tail is also used for everything from battle to locomotion, and it is how it is used in this phase which determines a "female" Azurill's adult gender. Marill and Azumarill females lay many eggs which take a long time to hatch, and must be strong enough fighters to protect their clutch from predators. Consequently, a tail used more often as a bludgeoning weapon creates a female in adulthood. The male of the species does not participate in raising children, but must woo females with grand splashing displays and maximizes reproductive success by preserving its own survival. This is why Azurill tails used for splashing and bouncing vast distances develop into male organs.

It was once thought that Azurill warriors became women and the weak became men, but this is untrue; the quick and the flashy become men and the weak get eaten by predators. Yet far more choose to stay and fight, so one in four Azurill must be made male at birth to maintain balance.

This method of gender selection, although unusual, is astonishingly successful; Marill are far more common in places near Sea Incense than in places where they are born into that form.


	299. Nosepass

Once, there were no humans on the island. The Nosepass lived unmoving, as they had since birth, in a long line through the cave at the island's center; they fed by attracting scrap from dead steel-types with their magnetic noses.

Then the humans came. They mined the cave for resources, but somehow determined they were gods. They carried the Nosepass out to the north side, facing the sea. Every clan, tribe, or city would try to outdo each other, building them higher and higher platforms and sacrificing to them more and more steel. And still they did not move.

Then the island was mined dry. The drive to please the Nosepass had gone too far, and stone and steel alike were gone. Without these resources, civilization collapsed. The people turned their anger on the clergy, and when they learned they could defy them without bringing anyone's wrath, they grew bold enough that they tore down their platforms and toppled their gods. The people fought each other for food and died off until only a hundredth of their number remained. The Nosepass lay facedown for a hundred years. And still they did not move.

Then the island was found by explorers on Lapras who had come from the outside world. The pokeball spread to the island, and a brave few concluded that the face-down creatures were not false gods left behind to remember their ancestors' folly, but pokemon like any other. They captured them. They brought them back to the cave they had called home when their ancestors first discovered the Nosepass – not for ritual, but to see what they could do against the pokemon of the cave. And they fought, but did not move.

Then they gained so much experience that their form changed. And then the Probopass moved.


	300. Skitty

Although the dramatic size discrepancy between these two pokemon makes it impossible in nature, and when it is done it is typically the product of mad scientists, it is indeed possible to breed Skitty and Wailord via artificial insemination. When the Wailord is the female, an apparently ordinary Wailmer is produced, no more strange or remarkable than any other crossbreeds. However, when the Skitty is the female, the resultant pokemon is no ordinary Skitty. Although when it hatches its egg is no larger than the rest of its species, the Skitty will grow at a tremendous rate until it reaches the size of its father; these half-breed Skitty, not Steelix, are the largest land pokemon to ever walk the earth.

The sheer size of large pokemon alone makes even gentle and lazy giants like Snorlax dangerous, and for a creature with Skitty's playful, feline mannerisms, size makes them destruction on four legs. Their habit of chasing their tail, adorable in an ordinary Skitty, is deadly to people and buildings alike when the tail in question is heavier than a wrecking ball; the pins can still be shot out as weapons, but they are less needles now than swords. Likewise, their tendency to chase moving objects becomes a method of hunting everything from Donphan to cyclists. A single Skitty can lay waste to a city more easily than Groudon or the megafauna of the Cenozoic ever could.

Tragically, Skitty are the furthest thing in the world from a malicious pokemon. The moment they finish their chase and realize what they destroyed, they scamper away into the forest, hoping it will have enough food to sustain them, and never show their faces to humans again.

* * *

Reviewers, if you want to ask a question, please do so when signed in. That way I can respond directly with the review reply feature, and I do. With regard to the reviewer who asked me, Nosepass not moving is stated in its Sapphire pokedex entry. (And it makes sense. Those legs are too short to go anywhere.)


	301. Delcatty

It is said that the four pins in every Delcatty's scarf were accidentally left there by Arceus, who moved onto creating the next pokemon and forgot that they had left Delcatty unfinished. It is for this reason that Delcatty make no nests, but like the great beasts of Johto (albeit without their speed) wander Hoenn in search of whatever Arceus left out.

The journey Delcatty take may superficially mirror that of gods, but Delcatty, unlike gods, can not simply run through any obstacle. Their cute appearance is a double-edged sword, for although it protects them from danger, they are desired as pets by humans and mates by many pokemon, neither role which is very compatible with an endless search. Although they will use their charms so other pokemon can power through obstacles, they rely on their haunting song and trickery to avoid being kept in one place for too long. Even a pokeball can fail to hold them at times; if they think their trainer will impede their search, they do not hesitate to run away. A captured Delcatty, no matter how friendly it seems, is still a wild pokemon at heart.

Yet when their search ends, there are almost as many different answers as there are Delcatty. Perhaps Arceus intended this pokemon to be a second Spinda, clad in countless adornments and purposes unique for its species, each chosen by Arceus at the moment of evolution. But more likely, there is no "true Delcatty" design which their creator had in mind; like Man, the only completeness they can find is what they create for themselves.


	302. Sableye

Pokemon battles are dangerous things, especially in the era before modern medicine. Today, serious injuries are kept to a minimum and deaths are extraordinarily rare, but the very term "pokemon battle" belies its origins as a blood sport. Some of these pokemon accepted their deaths as the inevitable result of facing a much stronger opponent or learned to hate the very concept of battles. But whenever a pokemon goes to the grave believing it would have lived if not for a particular weakness, a Sableye is born.

Sableye are a difficult pokemon to fight against, for not only is there no way to gain a type advantage on them, but their strange, impish form does not offer a single weak spot. Sableye make the first move of every match, because even the fastest pokemon instinctively look for either an opening or an elemental weakness before attacking, yet neither can be found on a Sableye. Therefore, the baffled, indecisive opposing pokemon inevitably freezes in place until either a Sableye's attack or its trainer's tactics begin the match, at which point their retaliatory mechanism takes over.

Once the fight actually starts, however, Sableye lose far more matches than they win. They have devoted their dying wish and their training alike to minimizing weaknesses, but in seeking to cover every weakness, they have forgotten the importance of strength. Although they are not weak against any attack, neither can they shrug them all off; they are merely damaged equally, unlike victorious pokemon and trainers who understand that they can not possibly cover every weakness, merely maximize their own skill and hope for favorable match-ups. Yet Sableye are still prized by trainers, not because they lack weaknesses, but because for an expert tactician, making the first move is the difference between victory and defeat.


	303. Mawile

Contrary to popular belief, Mawile are not especially fond of human flesh. They will eat it when hungry enough, and occasionally a poor trainer near the end of a long road has indeed been eaten by Mawile, but it is rare among wild Mawile; none of these trainers had pokemon a Mawile could digest. (Incidentally, Mawile jaws are perfectly capable of crunching rock and steel-type pokemon; it is fire types which give them trouble.) Humans, after all, are extremely dangerous prey.

The reason Mawile are so often associated with man-eating is not anything inherent to the pokemon, but the fact that many human cultures saw in them a method for gruesome executions. The Romans pitted prisoners of war against Mawile in the arena. Emperors of Hoenn dropped criminals – be they murderers or simply guilty of dissent - into a pit of Mawile with open jaws, surrounded the pit with raised platforms and invited the public to watch. It need not be used as an execution method, for the fear of a painful death can be as useful as the brutality of being ripped apart; a common torture method is to lower people, feet-first, into a Mawile's open jaws.

Yet it is not the Mawile who relish this, for their empathic brains can feel the agony of human minds and the food they get is not even that tasty; indeed, many are fed more than they can safely digest, for humans are a fair amount larger than a Mawile's body. Yet Mawile are nothing if not loyal to their trainers, and the combination of a pokemon's obedience with their trainers' capacity for cruelty allows for the darkest recesses of human savagery to be made real.


	304. Aron

In their native Hoenn, Aron are a pest, but not particularly dangerous, for metal buildings are regularly treated with chemicals to keep them away; they subsist on steel-types, scrap iron, and old silverware. Tragically, the same could not always be said of Unova, a land built on steel.

A large shipment of Aron to the Castelia Zoo escaped in the aftermath of an automotive accident. The driver quickly alerted the local authorities, and most of the Aron were captured before they could damage the city's tall skyscrapers. Yet a few of these pokemon escaped to the south of the city and, in the middle of the night, made their way to the top of the tall deck supporting the Skyarrow Bridge and began to chew. A few brave trainers tried to stop them, but they had walked high enough that only flying pokemon, who Aron resist extremely well, could reach, and they were able to shrug off the attacks until the bridge collapsed and fell, with the Aron, hundreds of feet into the water. One trainer was caught by their Unfezant, but the others, along with a few people traveling at night who had not reached the bridge's exit in time, fell to a watery grave.

Yet life goes on. A few years later, a new Skyarrow bridge was built, bigger and greater than ever, rededicated in honor of the dead. And although this bridge's cables are no more difficult for Aron to walk across than the old, and still touch the bridge itself at one point, the stairs leading up to the bridge are too steep for such a tiny pokemon to climb. The surviving Aron and their descendants have settled for the shore and water below, where pieces of the old bridge still provide an unending meal.


	305. Lairon

Despite inspiring countless works of apocalyptic fiction of an age of Lairon after a nuclear exchange, claims of a wild Lairon surviving a nuclear test remain unverified, although they can not be dismissed out of hand.

Lairon, after all, are the consummate survivors of the pokemon world, a pokemon covered in armor which protects it remarkably well from any enemy pokemon and then breaks off and flies into the enemy to reflect the damage back twofold. They have no predators, for those who would try soon learn the hard way that fighting Lairon is an awful survival strategy; even against human trainers, it takes a skilled tactician not to lose at least one pokemon to a metal burst. Their armor is no less effective at preventing damage from their own attacks, for not only do Lairon smash recklessly into the trees, boulders containing ore, and abandoned buildings they eat to break them into smaller chunks, they have been known to charge off cliffs and keep running as they had only walked down a steep stair.

Yet the age of Lairon is surely a fantasy, for it is not humans but a low birth rate which has kept them from already taking over the world. All the defenses men build are powerless against a charging Lairon, all their armor a pale emulation of this pokemon's own coat. Indeed, when humans wish to knock down the defenses of other humans, whether they are wrecking an enemy castle or demolishing a heavy building, they often train Lairon to perform this very task.

Perhaps scariest of all, for those who see our place in the world as at the top, Lairon evolve – and Aggron do everything they do even better.


	306. Aggron

Some mountains are entirely natural, formed solely through plate tectonics, and indeed many mountains can be found in lands where no Aggron dwell. And while many have noted that Aggron are strictly territorial and each one calls a single mountain home, few understand the reason for this behavior: Aggron are mountain-builders.

Even for a pokemon as large and resilient as Aggron, building mountains is a nigh-eternal task. Even if it did not take decades for their hills to reach the level of climatic variation necessary to be termed mountains, no Aggron ever considers their mountain complete. They continue to build higher until they die, seeing in their mountain's growth a lifetime of accomplishment, one which they must defend from raiders – hungry Tyranitar, other Aggron looking to seize the dirt and stones used for their own mountain, or humans wishing to do the same to win building materials for their cities. They cultivate them as another form of defense: with poor planning erosion can deal damage faster than a pokemon can build, so trees are used to make an Aggron's mountain ever taller. When an Aggron dies, they will try to pass the mountain onto their children, but a mountain's size is an expression of the ruler's power, and few can match the greatness of their parents when still young.

In every ocean are found islands consisting of nothing more than a mountain rising out of the water. This is what happens when an insular Aggron is able to claim total victory; only the vast size of our homelands gave Man and other pokemon room to develop in a multiplicity of terrain. Had one ever triumphed, we would live on a single mountain ruled by an Aggron king, his throne at the summit in the heavens.


	307. Meditite

It has often been surmised even before Darwin that man came from monkeys such as Aipom and Mankey, not the other way around. Yet a great deal suggests that Meditite developed much of their characteristic simian tendencies twice – that they could be fairly said to have "devolved" from man.

Historical records speak of groups of monks, although their sect is extinct today, who sought to commune with nature and pokemon through constant meditation, and were said to be able to levitate and perform telekinesis. Because their outfits are described as blue robes and the white hats from which they earned their name, many have speculated that the White Hat sect did not disappear so much as changed form; the word "Meditite", now their name, is said to have been their sacred mantra in times when they were human.

Whether or not the White Hat sect became the Meditite or simply dwindled from state repression and a lack of popular appeal, there is a great deal to suggest Meditite's origins come from some group of humans who took religion to new heights. Not only is their pose characteristic of (and less widespread than, and originated nowhere near) a meditating monk, but they wear clothes and hats, decorate their faces with thin red strips of paint, and engage in a set of daily rituals far more complex than most human faiths demand.

If Meditite did not come from man, evolution might seem in the process of making that leap a second time. Yet unlike humans, who, no matter how much faith and ideology try to suppress this urge, seek to shape and conquer their environment, Meditite value harmony with all things and seek the most peaceful existence possible for a living being.


	308. Medicham

Meditation, as any Meditite knows, is an excellent way to clear one's head in order to contemplate the mysteries of the universe, the meaning of life, or other existential questions of that nature. It is also, as any Medicham knows, an excellent way to hone the power of one's body, which is reflected primarily in more powerful physical attacks.

Many have surmised, based on the reluctance with which they go to battle and the beliefs of the historical religious groups they most resemble, that Meditite abhor violence even in self-defense. This is somewhat plausible when viewing Meditite alone, who will not defend themselves from predators and are often disobedient if captured, yet will fight as savagely as a Primeape when confronted with a pokemon trainer.

Yet when they evolve into Medicham, they are no less willing to fight than any other pokemon. And yet despite their great power, no bodies are found near their lairs in the wild, nor does the immensely long history of the sport of pokemon battle offer any records of any Medicham killing or maiming an opponent, a fact few species can claim.

It appears that Meditite get around their nonviolent teachings by learning to fight with such perfect control that there is no risk to their opponent of anything more than momentary unconsciousness, and only then evolving into a more combative form. Yet there is some evidence to suggest that even this goes too far for most, for Meditite society often shuns the very Medicham who guard their monasteries from assailants; perhaps the true pacifists among the Meditite simply never let themselves evolve.


	309. Electrike

Electrike neither chase lightning bolts nor plug into outlets, but wear a natural generator; a sleek, green coat of fur which generates static so well that lightning is constantly sparking from their bodies. The tip of their tails, their noses, and the sides of the crests on their heads glow constantly with a bright yellow light. In truth, despite millennia of depictions to the contrary, the fur is as green underneath as the pokemon they belong to, yet this fact is only visible in the unusual conditions where their electric supply is somehow interrupted.

Electrike have long been a mainstay of farmers, and not only for their ability to herd Mareep once they evolve; they shed countless coats of fur in the process of growing. Electrike fur can not be worn, and rubber gloves are typically used when handling it to try to avoid a paralyzing shock, but the prices it brings makes collection more than worth the danger. Long before modern generators, Hoenn captured the power of electricity through a system which relied on massive green walls of shed Electrike fur. The land was powered by a massive sheet attached to a tall pole, one outside each town, and each needed to be continually replenished for the same reason Electrike continually shed; the fur soon loses its static generation ability and drops off the sheet, providing a steady expense for governments and supplemental income for farmers alike.

Although fossil fuels and an increased ability to harness the electricity of other pokemon have made Electrike farming far less profitable in recent years, a growing interest in renewables has seen a recent recovery in prices as much for their eggs as for their fur: Electrike electricity is spreading worldwide.


	310. Manectric

It is said that walking your Manectric (with a rubber leash, of course; those who use Growlithe leashes soon get their hands zapped through the leash) is the safest place to be during a thunderstorm. This is because Manectric are natural lightning rods, capable of defending their teammates from electric attacks not only in double and triple battles, but in the massive pokemon melees which rocked Hoenn before peace came to the land.

This ability is also the primary reason that Manectric and not Houndoom or Arcanine are used for herding Mareep and Flaaffy. Mareep, contrary to popular belief, are by no means docile and on long migrations are prone to rebel by shocking their trainers. Although humans are remarkably resilient at surviving pokemon attacks, so permanent damage is rare, without a Manectric an unfortunate pastoralist can be left impoverished as his or her entire flock runs away. Furthermore, a Manectric's own current makes Mareep more willing to follow, often luring them like a Magnemite draws metal, which add to their ability to protect farmers and their other pokemon which make them a necessity for anyone bringing these electric sheep on a long journey.

Although Manectric can easily absorb vast amounts of electricity, they are no less capable when it comes to discharging it. And Manectric refuse to absorb the attacks of their own species, perhaps out of solidarity, perhaps simply confusing it for their own. Therefore, the only way to get shocked when a Manectric is around is to get on its bad side, and if you do, you can count on no protection from any others you train.


	311. Plusle

Today, single battles are the most common type of pokemon battle, and double battles the second-most common. It is for this reason that Plusle is dismissed as among the weakest of pokemon. In ancient times, pokemon battles in Hoenn often took the form of massive melees, and it was here where Plusle's power of addition truly shone.

Although Plusle's form recalls simple addition, what they perform is better described as combination and redirection. When given time, space, and teammates, Plusle do far more than lend a simple Helping Hand; with a glow of their tail, three attacks can become one. The attack thus produced adds together all the qualities, good and bad, of the component techinques; it can become as wide-ranging as Blizzard, paralyze the foe like Thunder, or confuse all three users like Outrage. The type of the merged attack is chosen by the Plusle from the attacks used; even two Hydro Pumps with an Ember could become a fire-type technique. Because of this power, Plusle were a mainstay in the pokemon battles of old, one which shaped the tactics used and was often the first targeted by opponents.

Pokemon battles have changed from the days of six on six at once, but Plusle's legacy lives on. Hoenn was in ancient times also known as a center for mathematics, for a great deal of algebra and higher arithmetic derived from the study of Plusle in pokemon battles.


	312. Minun

It is quite common for the right half of two-button computer mice to be designed to look like a Minun, although the left half is never a Plusle. This is not solely because Minun are literal electric mice – many other pokemon also fit that description – but also because one of the most common uses of the right-click is to delete unwanted files, just as a Minun deletes objects from its environment.

Minun have been called the anti-Arceus, for they are the two confirmed exceptions to the law of conservation of mass; Arceus creates matter, and Minun destroy it, and it is thought that they do so in equal proportions so that the world's size can remain more or less the same. Yet there is no obvious logic to what the Minun destroy. They are the most odious of household pests, responsible whenever a precious game or heirloom turns up missing, yet only target items small in size and too disused to be noticed. In battle, they use their tails to dissolve enemy attacks, yet few have the flexibility to protect themselves completely, and they refuse to use it on physical attacks for they fear permanently crippling other pokemon. At times, a swarm of Minun acts completely different from their normal behavior and becomes an outbreak of pure destruction, deleting everything in sight until the ground opens up beneath them and swallows them whole; many of the most dramatic changes in the natural history of the pokemon world, and a few mysteries of human history to boot, have at times been explained that way.

Yet most Minun are trainable, for although their logic can never be understood, it can be altered. From dangerous garbage to out-of-control nuclear reactors, humanity has benefited dramatically from Minun's ability to obliterate waste.


	313. Volbeat

Despite the wishes of many trainers throughout the years, Volbeat are a claustrophobic pokemon which flock to plains, fields, mountaintops, and other areas where their light can be seen by as many Illumise as possible. However, Volbeat were seen as a necessity for travelers for most of history, because they were the only pokemon whose light was both bright enough and safe enough (not being fire or lightning) to reliably light the caves which are the only safe routes between countless cities across the world.

The hard part for the trainer was always getting their Volbeat to actually light the way instead of remaining dark in protest at being in a cave. Some appealed to their pokemon's reason, pointing out that they would get through the caves faster, going so far as to venture through caves in darkness until their Volbeat relented to help them find their way out in either direction. The problem with this was that before the invention of the pokeball, and to a lesser extent today, for many simply refuse the ball and demand to travel outside with their trainers, there was little to prevent the Volbeat from simply refusing to enter the cave by flying away. Others chained their pokemon and scared or struck them to make use of the fact that when they retaliated, they did so by lighting up in the hopes of blinding their assailants; a few justly lost their eyesight for this scheme.

But ultimately, it would be science which solved the Volbeat problem, and it did so by taking the Volbeat out of the equation. The means by which they lit up was studied extensively until it could be taught to other pokemon, and it was given the name Flash because a Volbeat's light is a flickering one.


	314. Illumise

The most difficult thing about stargazing in Hoenn is telling the actual stars, especially those blue or purple in color, from the patterns of light woven through the sky by Illumise in flight. The reason Illumise make these patterns is unclear, but appears to be simple entertainment, for it has nothing whatsoever to do with mating or finding food, and if it distracts predators it is only because they watch in awe.

Hoenn is one of the few areas in the world which never developed a system of constellations, for in the dark of night, Illumise look like points of light who drift through the air like stars. The patterns Illumise weave, however, change dramatically from day to day, and only when astronomical texts filtered in from foreign lands was it understood that the so-called Red, Yellow, and White Illumise (along with many of the blue-purple ones) were actually not pokemon at all, but heavenly bodies located worlds away.

Yet although Hoenn lacked defined patterns with which to neatly divide up the night sky, Illumise gazing simply replaced stargazing, for the ancients still had little better to do in the dark of night. They drew pictures from the patterns they saw, looking nothing like what the Illumise intended and freely linking together Illumise and true stars. And they came out for much longer than did peoples of other lands, for although they could not find familiar constellations, the sky offered new displays each and every night.

At times, people sought to catch the Illumise, thinking their imagination superior to what nature could produce. And at times, when they were true visionaries, the Illumise even obeyed. In this era, on certain holidays, Illumise do not fly nature's patterns, but tell elaborate stories written in false starlight at their coordinator's command.


	315. Roselia

There are few more elegant ways to make an appearance than by tossing a Roselia rose, surrounded in their red petals. (Their blue roses are ignored, both because they are seen as less desirable and because few people are cruel enough to leave a Roselia roseless.) Nor are there any which cost nearly as many lives. Most items harvested from pokemon bodies can be obtained by hunting, because they remain in perfect working order after the pokemon's death. A few, like Mareep wool, grow back and are obtained by keeping a domestic supply. The rose of a Roselia will grow back if detached after a time, but Roselia are not only difficult to tame, but would no more part with their rose than a human their arm and always loathe those who removed their rose; furthermore, it wilts into nothing when the Roselia who grew it dies, and a knocked-out Roselia vanishes into the grass from where it grew.

For a brave few, Roselia roses represent their feats of courage and expertise. The rose must be amputated from a Roselia full of poisonous barbs and fiercely fighting back, and a Roselia's venom is strong enough to kill a man. Few send in their pokemon for the task, for Roselia will gladly kill to protect their roses, and most pokemon lack the expert control necessary to avoid killing or knocking out their target anyway. (However, it was precisely for this pokemon that the False Swipe technique first developed.) Instead, they learn to fight grass pokemon by hand and seize rose after rose, entering as dramatically as they please until they retire or lose their lives.

Those who survive to become skilled in removing these roses soon find they can make a great deal of money selling them for romantic confessions and other special occasions. For most people throwing them around, Roselia roses are not a testament to their skill, but proof of their wealth or sincerity.


	316. Gulpin

Much has been made of the fact that Gulpin can devour anything, but this fact is neither as useful nor as dangerous as it seems. Because the toxins they excrete are far more dangerous than all but the most hazardous of materials, Minun are far preferred for waste disposal, and Gulpin's slow eating pace, small size, and lack of camouflage ensure that although they have the physical ability to eat all sorts of buildings, people, and pokemon, they rarely if ever get the chance.

Of far more interest to scientists is the corollary to this fact: that they can digest any substance. It is this ability which has let Gulpin thrive in a multitude of environments from the arctic to the bottom of the sea. They have been around for at least five hundred million years, have survived Armaldo, Cradily, and countless mass extinctions; indeed, they dominate the earth for an eon after the catastrophe until new predators learn to eat them and their numbers dwindle back to an equilibrium.

With famine an all too common theme of recorded history and dreams of colonizing other planets beyond the stars, science tries time and time again to transfer a Gulpin's digestive system to Man, but with no success. Yet perhaps this is for the best. Although the species has done well, a wild Gulpin's life is rarely long. Part of this, to be sure, is that poison is their only defense against predators, and there are predators like Skarmory and Seviper who are immune. But far more dangerous is the fact that a Gulpin's stomach is too effective for their own good. Gulpin are a prized meal among any pokemon (and many humans) who can slay them, for they provide immense energy and nutrition but require no preparation.


	317. Swalot

It was once commonly believed that the world would end not because of solar expansion, but with a Swalot growing so large that it swallowed the world whole. Swalot do not grow all that quickly, and their size at evolution is small, so few people think of them as large pokemon. Yet they never stop growing as long as they live, and although their lives are often ended by accident, hunger, or violence, none have ever been confirmed to die from old age; many scientists wonder if these pokemon age at all.

History obviously contains no record of a Swalot devouring the world, for such records and any would-be readers would be devoured as well, but it does offer an explanation of how that idea developed. Hoenn's landscape has long been shifting from the warfare of the gods, and the names of settlements in its antiquity are numerous and ever-changing, so it is difficult to separate fact from fiction regarding lost cities. Yet it certainly appears that a few, such as Bigroot Town, were indeed eaten by hungry Swalot. Many other cities record desperate military campaigns against a single one of these oversized poison pokemon, including gruesome accounts of soldiers grabbed with its giant whiskers and swallowed whole before winning a bitter victory.

Oftentimes, enemy settlements would put local wars on hold to lend each other aid against Swalot, for they feared that if they did not unite, the Swalot would grow too big for the surviving city to confront alone. They did so because of their own belief in the story of a Swalot apocalypse, and it was through this belief that a true Swalot apocalypse was avoided, for they did so until the day came when technology grew so powerful that no pokemon could swallow the world.


	318. Carvanha

For centuries, an uncharted island off the coast of Hoenn was known only for the large population of Carvanha which sunk any ships which ventured too near. It was marked on maps as "Savage Island", and the name was thought to derive from the fact that it was a land where the savagery of the wilderness could survive, untouched by man. It was not until the past two centuries, when boats began to be made of materials too strong for Carvanha's jaws, that it was learned that this respite of "savagery" possessed its own civilization, and that each and every member of the enormous Carvanha armada surrounding the island was domestic!

It was not long after that the truth of the island's history came out, although it required no shortage of lives and courage to be learned. The island's people were themselves thought of as savage, a term which in this case meant little more than "different" and "technologically backwards." They had long possessed a custom of training Carvanha for protection, which was looked down upon, for they were a hated pokemon by outsiders. Disease and slave raids had gradually caused their population to dwindle, and knowing no other defense and seeing nothing to gain from the outside world, they had voted to seal the island off, planted tall trees to shield themselves from the air, and pooled their pet Carvanha into a massive navy to protect themselves from outsiders.

Thus they had survived unharmed for centuries, protected by a vast fleet of pokemon which sink ships, drink blood, and have a reputation far more fearsome than their tiny size justifies.


	319. Sharpedo

Sharpedo do not actually explode when they stop moving, as anyone who trains them can attest; indeed, they do not even explode when everyone from Voltorb to Snorlax in turn tries to teach them how to do so. Yet as many sailors past and present attest, Sharpedo do in fact explode when (and only when) they collide with ships at sea. This does not happen in every collision, however; at times, a ship's hull is run through by Sharpedo teeth and it soon sinks, but the Sharpedo swims away unharmed.

Many theories have been advanced as to how this happens, and it was once widely thought to be a chemical reaction, but the change from wooden to metal ships caused no change in the number of exploding Sharpedo and science is no closer to solving this mystery than ever, in large part because of the few domestic Sharpedo available for study. The biting of ships is better understood; it is a strange sort of self-defense, a method to avoid exploding, although how it works is still unexplained.

Whatever the reason, it has made water travel across the open sea extremely hazardous for much of history, ending the lives of many explorers prematurely and making live pokemon the preferred method of water travel across the world. Although the risk has been dramatically reduced in recent decades, ever since people began to place Dive Balls around the hulls of ships, most people remain too frightened to ride a boat through any sea, for there are very few bodies of water in the whole world where Sharpedo have never been sighted.


	320. Wailmer

Wailmer are known to bounce atop the surface of the water, both as a means of eating Wingull and escaping predators like Sharpedo, but if anything they are bouncier on land. It is not a rare sight to see rubble in coastal towns with a Wailmer-shaped hole in the center, for there are precious few construction materials sturdy enough to withstand their onslaught.

A bouncing Wailmer is a fascinating sight so long as it is not one's own home at risk. The creation of obstacle courses for Wailmer began as a means of training them to dodge buildings instead of crushing them, but became a popular spectacle and soon an annual festival in many coastal towns in Hoenn. And for the Wailmer entrants – mostly trained, but a few wild and curious – who learn to control their bouncing, it is an occasion for immense joy.

The event is as much a show of tactics as of raw power, for Wailmer bounce on each other for an added boost, bounce over some of the hastily constructed obstacles (many fifty feet high in larger cities) but use others as leverage, and a few avoid jumping entirely and simply attempt to roll through it, demolishing some from the side instead of the roof and dodging those large enough to stop their momentum. Nearly the whole town's population watches, although it is difficult to find a vantage point from where one can see the entire course, and unless one is a trainer it is harder still to tell the competing Wailmer apart. Yet the excitement comes not from finding the winner, but from watching the great blue ball whales bounce athletically through or over shoddy replicas of the town's landmarks, or watching said landmarks get smashed to pieces by rampaging pokemon.


	321. Wailord

The sheer size of Wailord presents many challenges for trainers even today, for they have poor mobility on land, and even in water rarely find a battlefield large enough for them to maneuver. Indeed, many trainers favor opening matches by tossing their poke balls high into the air and having their Wailord land on their opponent with a Heavy Slam.

The very fact that these trainers can throw poke balls is proof of how far we have come, for Wailord were the last intelligent creature on earth (excepting man) to become a pocket monster. The first poke balls were only capable of holding pokemon the size of Pidgey or Rattata, but a continuous series of inventions shrunk larger and larger pokemon until even Steelix and Tyranitar could be caught, placed in small balls and made to obey their trainers. But the funding for and interest in research soon dried up, for only one pokemon was left untamed, so Wailmer trainers were left saving up for Everstones or parking their pokemon at docks as though they were boats and leaving them off their team when on land.

The Heavy Ball which tamed Wailord ultimately came from a large association of deep-sea fishermen, who saw immense profit in Wailord meat and oil and sought a way to prevent these pokemon from accidentally eating their rides (boats and water pokemon alike,) in accidents made possible by their enormousness. But although Wailord could be captured, they are far too big and powerful to be killed like Magikarp; harpoons do little against Water Spout. Wailmer trainers, once the very activists who protested this research out of fear that it would devastate the Wailord population, have become the primary customers for the Heavy Ball these fishermen developed.


	322. Numel

It is quite common for people from Hoenn to be baffled by the stories told of Numel by travelers, for the stories told of these pokemon bear such little resemblance to the slow, dim-witted beasts of burden from which we get the word "numb". Yet this dramatic difference is nothing more than the impact of climate on a Numel, for just as water causes the magma inside them to harden into rock as if these pokemon were frozen outright, moist air creates just enough magma to numb their reflexes to nearly the speed of a Slowpoke.

In their homes on the edge of deserts, Numel are beloved by all but especially by merchants, for they lead caravans swiftly and effectively across forbidding deserts. They can cross the Sahara without stopping once to eat or drink, although when they arrive at their destination it is true that they soon eat like Snorlax to restore vigor to their hump. They do pose a danger of eruption, although less of one than their evolved form of Camerupt, and most riders wear protective equipment to avoid the risk of severe burns. Yet even this can be beneficial, for if a Numel can avoid erupting (a difficult feat, for generations have failed at training them to erupt on command outside of battle, and the Numel themselves seldom notice the buildup until it is too late) until one is in range, a well-cooked Cacturne can be a feast for trainer and pokemon alike.

Yet even slowed to a crawl as in Hoenn, Numel should not be overlooked. Although these pokemon move at a slow speed, their enormous strength allows them to pull heavy objects and stockpiles of food too heavy for ten men to move, so they are beloved by farmers and construction workers alike.


	323. Camerupt

There is no such thing as a Camerupt corpse, but Camerupt can lie dormant for generations. Upon true death, an event rarely seen in any era, these pokemon explode. Yet the weak explosion which marks the end of their lives, or for that matter a powerful and vicious yet fully conscious Camerupt, might as well be a Pidgey's gust compared to the awesome power which erupts whenever they awake from hibernation.

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Camerupt's eruption is a technique which grows in power the more time has passed since it was last used, and although trainers rarely wait longer than a week (both out of diminishing returns and the need to maintain a consistent battle schedule), whole cities have been destroyed by Camerupt who have slept for centuries. Generations of dirt, sand, or rock can bury these pokemon, but this does not serve to weaken their eruption, only to hide them - and by doing so, to vastly increase the number of casualties when they wake, and add a miniature storm of whatever material covered them to the enormous cascade of scorching-hot magma.

Ever since man has learned the dangers of these pokemon, every domestic Camerupt and every wild one successfully tracked is herded deep into the desert whenever the signs of impending hibernation begin to show. Yet all it takes is a great hiding spot and either a single trainer with a grudge or a wild pokemon venturing too close to civilization (or a civilization marching too far forward in the intervening centuries) to rain down destruction in the manner of Mount Vesuvius or Cinnabar Volcano. Camerupt may lack the size of ordinary volcanoes, but they are every bit as dangerous.


	324. Torkoal

Before warfare and anarchy turned them into chaotic terrain covered by obstacles and patrolled by pokemon-training highwaymen, Hoenn had a vibrant, industrialized society connected by a rail network far greater than the Magnet Train or the Battle Subway. The key to this rail network was the invention of the combustion engine; the power behind that engine, then as now, is the Torkoal. Torkoal have long been known for their ability to convert the coal on which they feed into white-hot smoke, but it was the discovery that this smoke was full of energy and could be used to power all sorts of machines which sparked the industrial revolution. The term "steam engine" used so often to describe Torkoal-powered engines is a misnomer; although true steam is used in other regions in their place, Torkoal smoke only looks like water vapor.

Yet Torkoal, despite being useful in combat primarily for their defensive power, were still a mainstay of Team Magma's army, and Team Magma could not accept a pokemon they often conscripted being taken across Hoenn for industry. Team Aqua likewise feared that the cities popping up along the coast would engage in large-scale land reclamation, and saw in the march of Torkoal the march of the land. And industrialization itself left many others jobless, from textile workers on Wurmple silk to long-distance haulers and their large fighting pokemon who could not compete with freight trains.

The Torkoal fought back, but Torkoal are poor fighters, and fighting machines a century away. Many people joined them, but those who benefited most from the Torkoal engine were those who could do little with their own pokemon, and were as poor at war as they were at travel.

In Hoenn, the Torkoal lost. In Hoenn, the Luddites won.


	325. Spoink

In ancient times it was surmised that the pearls on a Spoink's head were held in place by a psychic field, or that they were connected to the head like some oddly-colored organ. Today, it is known that they are stolen Clamperl placed onto the head via the tail, held between the ears, and kept from falling off these pokemon by the greatest balancing act known to man.

Elite archers seeking glory have long attempted to knock the pearl off a Spoink's head. The pearls alone are small targets, moving pink bulls-eyes, but Spoink will protect their pearl with their body or by adjusting the angle so that the pearl is only dented, not knocked over. Although many fallen Spoink pearls show visible damage, a close examination reveals that the few pearls successfully knocked off were either shots from behind, or the shots of pokemon who had first used a targeting technique such as Mind Reader. Archer after archer went out to surpass the legends of their own generation, yet those who claimed that feat were inevitably reduced to sneak attacks or outright lying like those before them; few carried any pearl with them.

Spoink despise this custom; although men may find it kinder than hunting for sport or food, Spoink consider hunting less cruel. Once a pearl is lost, a Spoink is too old to venture into water and stop bouncing long enough to get a new one, and the old one is damaged beyond repair by contact with land. The pearls regulate the hearts of every Spoink; without them they can live only as long as they bounce, evolution their only hope of survival. If they hit the wrong surface and get stuck or are knocked out in battle, Spoink will die, and many have died this way.


	326. Grumpig

When a Spoink evolves into a Grumpig, the pure pink pearl on their head moves to their chest and becomes tainted with a black mist, while three smaller, yet no less darkened jewels break off like moons after a meteor impact. Some have explained this in terms of a loss of childhood innocence, while others view it as punishment for the sin committed by every Spoink, who must steal a Clamperl in order to live. Yet all agree that a Grumpig's pearls are so tainted and corrupted by the spirits of darkness which gives them their color that monks will have nothing to do with these pokemon. It is widely known that every Grumpig pearl contains a trapped spirit being punished for their sins, but few realize that the spirit trapped within is the Grumpig's own.

Even the most savage dark-types do not receive nearly the ritual shunning of these psychic-type pokemon who rarely harbor malice in their hearts And indeed, many Grumpig dedicate their lives to good deeds simply to atone in the faint hope that their jewels will regain their color. Yet if they succeed in cleansing the darkness – a sight rarer than even a shiny pokemon – the color underneath is not the pink of a Clamperl, but the blue of the Lustrous Orb.

This is how Grumpig often seem to manipulate the very space around them. And it is written that the proper way to summon Palkia is not with the red chain with which Cyrus ripped it out of its home into our world, but by atoning with one's Grumpig until its orb is fully purified, then ascending the summit by its side.


	327. Spinda

Humans and pokemon are both unique, and even pokemon which seem identical to one another have no difficulty telling one another apart by appearance, voice, or scent. Yet it is only the Spinda who look so different from one another that a single look is enough to tell them apart with a rate of error under one in a billion. This ability developed as a means of confusing predators, who would be unable to realize that the Spinda were all the same nutritious and tasty species and not merely a variety of pokemon of the same shape, yet has proven just as useful for trainers and the Spinda themselves.

One would think that, given the low population of Spinda worldwide, this would mean that they are never mistaken for one another, and history offers no records of this being true among the living. But Spinda, like men, have their heroes, have their villains, and have their history, and every now and then a Spinda is born which looks identical to those of the distant past. The Spinda believe it to be proof of reincarnation, although many scientists believe it nothing more than an expression of the large but ultimately finite number of ways of arranging cream and red on a Spinda's coat.

Although Spinda who have done great deeds in the past are anointed as heroes, and those who have done ones viewed today with controversy can still gain their followers, many Spinda are reviled for cruelties committed by those who wore the same coat of fur, even if it was thousands of years ago. Typically, they flee to the outskirts of Fallarbor in Hoenn, where falling volcanic ash can obscure enough of their fur to let them look unique and live their own lives, untainted by their identical-colored forebears.


	328. Trapinch

Any time a vestige of civilization is reclaimed by the desert, the Trapinch are not far behind. Even in far-flung places like Unova's Relic Castle, these pokemon find their way there to dig large, conical pits of sand to trap their prey: the many pokemon who inevitably seek to use these ruins as a source of shelter. Although humans can not be digested by Trapinch, this fact is seldom appreciated; corpses of treasure hunters are occasionally found covered in sand after a death from asphyxiation in a Trapinch pit. Usually, humans are heavy enough to fall through the sand pit to the next layer of ruins, and a competent trainer can make their way out with the right pokemon, but this fear has kept many away.

Archaeologists are generally grateful to the Trapinch for protecting the past, for the thieves and pokemon kept away will inevitably damage the artifacts in every ruin. Yet these pokemon can cause damage of their own, both to the structural foundation of old buildings and to old items which fall into the sand. Nor are they kinder to those who dig up treasures for knowledge than to those who do so for riches; those who wish to excavate in the desert must come prepared to fight Trapinch and carry pokemon who can protect them from sand pits, either by digging through these traps or by pulling them out before they drown.

It has often been speculated, but never proven, that Trapinch do not always wait for places to be abandoned before they dig, only for them to be swallowed by sand. Stories of lost civilizations in the desert guarded by Trapinch capture countless imaginations even today, for there is a great deal of desert in the world which man has yet to explore.


	329. Vibrava

On the edge of this planet's vast deserts, the phrase "better bandits than Vibrava" is a common proverb. The saying harkens back to an era when caravans, not rail or flight, was the primary means of trans-desert trade, and leading Numel and treasure across the desert was a romanticized, popular, and dangerous path to riches. The caravan routes were often targeted by all sorts of thieves and vagabonds, but although they would steal all the cargo and demand vast ransoms, most who encountered them came back alive.

Far more dangerous were the Vibrava, who ignore the wealth of Man, but feast on the Numel who carry them across the desert. Many, noticing their insectoid appearance, have thought to use fire to drive them off, but Vibrava are living fossils, a transition species between bugs and dragons, and they possess the resistances of the latter. They can be beaten by dragons, who can not long survive the sand, or by ice pokemon, who melt in the desert heat. Unless one is an elite pokemon trainer capable of fighting such powerful pokemon without a type advantage (and few caravan merchants are) they might as well be invincible.

Goods can be replaced. Money can be earned again. A successful bandit raid can be an enormous setback, it can lead great men to give up trying. But human and pokemon life is far more precious – and although Vibrava will not even touch humans, few made their way home without a Numel to pull the way. In the old days, when an emergency flier could not be protected by pokeballs, a Vibrava attack was a death sentence for human as well as pokemon: it was simply delayed for the human until they ran out of water or collapsed from exhaustion in the sand.


	330. Flygon

Many centuries ago, pokemon trainers had discovered a way to strengthen their pokemon to heights only now being matched. By a process likened by some to evolution and others to massive experience, a few species of pokemon went through a metamorphosis which dramatically improved their size, power, and attacks without changing their name or form, a metamorphosis called "Level X" because their power exceeded the existing leveling scale. Before long, their trainers challenged the great, feuding nobles of the realm, who were forced to master these strengthened pokemon themselves or lose everything.

Wars of upheaval swept the land and even the gods themselves sought this power lest they become outclassed by mortals. A pokemon professor experimented on many pokemon, hoping to bring peace to the land: instead, he found Flygon, the ultimate weapon of its time. The new Flygon had learned an extreme attack which slew other pokemon level X in a single blow, and would not rest until their targets were obliterated.

From the deserts, armed with Flygon level X, a generation of conquerors emerged. Yet no sooner did they establish their rule than did they turn upon one another like they had the giants they had conquered. The Flygon were themselves level X, so they saw each other as enemies and gleefully battled one another. A war of fratricide replaced the old upheaval, differing only in the diversity of pokemon used, until only one Flygon remained. Its trainer reached for the imperial crown, then looked up to see its Flygon still attacking. With no other pokemon level X left alive, there was only one more pokemon to kill, so it slew itself with its own technique.

Yet man continued to wage war with the pokemon who remained, species their forefathers thought too weak to send into battle.


	331. Cacnea

Cacnea are not true desert pokemon, for although they can store water within themselves for a month, they can not absorb a month's water from desert rains. Every month, on the night of the new moon, the Cacnea wander from the desert to the nearest lake, sea, or reservoir to drink en masse, drinking smaller bodies of water nearly dry – a practice which saw them once hated as pests, but in time people came to depend on the Cacnea march in order to prevent flooding.

The reason Cacnea choose to live in deserts is because when veiled within sandstorms, Cacnea can create elaborate mirages by instantly growing large flowers from their head and shooting their spikes into the air at angles where sandstorms can keep them aloft. They do not display these mirages at planned shows, but spontaneously, and continue for hours while weary travelers and local pokemon alike gather to watch. Taking advantage of their ability to store water, Cacnea often remove a few water-filled spikes with which to provide refreshments, at times combined with fruits from their flowers and meat slain in battle. Many have speculated that it is this water, not their performance, which truly draws people to their shows, an accusation which has shattered many a Cacnea's pride.

Yet some offer a much prouder explanation. The fossil record shows Cacnea to be the oldest desert pokemon, older than even Lileep and Anorith. Most speculate that they formed the base of the original desert food chain, and only later developed venom which made them inedible. Yet there is a good deal of evidence to suggest instead that life in the desert began only when other pokemon migrated to follow the mirages; that the Cacnea's refreshments, not their bodies, were the original desert food.


	332. Cacturne

Desert travelers and the peoples of oasis communities have often reported being woken late at night by the sudden appearance of a light so powerful it illuminated the whole desert as though day had broken hours early, a light they call the desert sun. These miniaturized stars are produced by Cacturne, but are only created in dire situations, for their heat will immobilize the nocturnal user. Most commonly, the desert sun is used to immobilize other Cacturne, for these pokemon have a more quarrelsome temperament than even humans, and the sunlight can calm their tensions by forcing them to discuss matters and think things over.

Yet the light of the desert sun can be focused into a weapon just like the light of the true sun, an ultimate attack shared with many a grass pokemon albeit rarely used after dark. In times of drought, or when a Cacturne hunts pokemon under their protection, Cacturne can come into conflict with the powerful Flygon who fancy themselves guardians of the desert. A few Cacturne use it to finish off dangerous prey like Claydol or Sandslash, but few are willing to tolerate such heat for a meal for a moment longer than they must.

These bursts of light have become more common in the last few decades, to which the blame can be placed on the inexorable march of science. As soon as the desert sun was discovered by the outside world, researchers became fascinated by the fact that Cacturne create sunlight at night, a fact they often experienced firsthand when proud Cacturne tried to blind them to avoid capture. They still seek a way to use this light as an energy source, but no matter how many Cacturne they captured or experiments they tried, the lights remain all too short-lived.


	333. Swablu

The wings of a Swablu are typically depicted as cumulus clouds, especially in mild climates, for it is this form which these wings most often take. Yet Swablu have long been of use for meteorologists, for every morning their wings emerge into the shape of whatever cloud will be most common on that day, from wispy cirrus wings on which they can barely fly to nimbus wings which tower larger than a Vullaby's.

It is said that Unova's first settlers were led on their journey by a Swablu they believed to be a god. Every day, when the Swablu found a resting spot, they stopped and founded a city on the site of wherever it perched. This Swablu's wings took a different shape every day, including rare cloud patterns which bore little resemblance to any associated weather ever found in Unova's historical record, although if the myths are true the clouds did indeed appear. To honor their Swablu founder, the people of Unova named each and every city after the shape its wings took on that particular day.

Yet no sooner was the settlement of ancient Unova completed than did many of the local gods, such as Reshiram and Zekrom, come to drive away this foreign pokemon back across the sea. Yet it is said that this Swablu could not bear to leave Unova, and after convincing the hostile gods it had left, settled in the notoriously inaccessible Abundant Shrine under the protection of the weather trio, who saw a friend in a creature with wings made of clouds. And those few trainers brave enough to venture deep into the shrine have reporrted that a community of Swablu still lives there to this day.


	334. Altaria

Altaria are a pokemon which have long baffled conventional understanding, for so much about them flips our understanding about pokemon in general on its head. They are dragons, with all the majesty that implies, yet evolve from a pokemon nearly as common as Taillow. They have an easy time in battle against powerful evolved pokemon, yet often struggle to dispatch their weaker initial forms. And although great trainers struggle to tame them, imaginative dreamers with little grasp on reality bond with them with ease.

It is this latter fact which gives rise to phrases like "Cloud cuckoo lander" and "having one's head in the clouds" both of which refer not to clouds made of atmospheric moisture but to an Altaria's wings. Altaria, despite their majestic reputation, are affectionate pokemon who will wrap their wings around their trainers in a warm, cottony embrace, and many trainers will use their wings as pillows at night. This does not hurt the Altaria, for despite their wispy appearance, Altaria are so powerful that they are known to steal clouds out of the sky and add them to their wings in order to calm the weather.

Perhaps it is these trainers and their numerous bizarre theories, not the current theoretical models, which can truly explain these pokemon. It seems odd to imagine, as Winona of Fortree City suggests, that these pokemon are fragments of the sky itself, born whenever meteors smash enormous chunks of air down to earth. Yet it makes as much sense as any other explanation we have for these mysterious and wonderful pokemon.


	335. Zangoose

Zangoose and Seviper have been fighting for eons, but they have not forgotten the origins of their endless feud, and are indoctrinated from a young age worse than the loudest, most jingoistic patriots. Although many Seviper in this era are told only to be wary of Zangoose attacks, virtually all Zangoose learn long lines of every ancestor that was lost in battle, and of the story which I am to relate here, one warped by generations of bias into the form they tell today:

For generations, the Seviper and Zangoose had lived in peace, but the Seviper were a greedy nation, and elected a king who promised war. Yet faced with military weakness, he invited the king and chieftains of the Zangoose to peace talks, where he fed them apples tainted not with venom, but with knowledge – knowledge of human societies where lords abrogated their duties to the people in order to live in luxury and reduce their subjects to serfdom. The Zangoose king signed away half his nation and ruled through terror and fear, taxing his people to the brink of starvation, and slowly his form began to change along with the rest of the elite, until a decade later, the starving Zangoose were ruled over by Seviper lords.

The remaining Zangoose struck back and won their freedom, yet at a heavy price. For the Zangoose never forgot their bitterness; from their nursing mothers, they learned this story, and every new war brought new crimes and new sufferings, which were always blamed on the Seviper. Today, the Zangoose desire peace; they just do not believe the Seviper capable of such a thing.

Never do they look at their own bloodied reflections.


	336. Seviper

Still covered in the golden scarabs of ages past, Seviper patrol the outskirts of Egypt's great pyramids looking for raiders to bite. The treasures of the pyramids have also been long covered in Seviper venom, yet this venom has lost a great deal of potency after thousands of years; although it can still kill, it does so years after the treasures have been stolen. For this reason, the mysterious deaths to which many pyramid explorers have succumbed over the years were once blamed not on the Seviper, but on a Cofagrigus curse.

A live Seviper's venom is far more potent than one left on an artifact for thousands of years. This venom was often used by deposed Egyptian rulers as a means of suicide, for it was far quicker and less painful than the imaginative methods of execution used on "traitors". In battle, Seviper poison wounds as quickly as the poisons used by the ninjas of Fuchsia City, and requires prompt medical attention after the match is completed. Thankfully, in this day and age a pokemon center can prevent virtually all casualties; in ancient Egypt, they were forbidden from the sport of battle for killing too many pokemon, and were used solely as weapons of war.

Ironically, Seviper eat eggs and bugs small enough to crush with their fangs in the wild. Their venom is a weapon of self-defense which originally developed to protect their nests from predators, and its modern potency is a legacy of selective breeding by Egyptians dating back to the dawn of civilization.


	337. Lunatone

The crater-marked surface of the moon can be fairly described as the birthplace of Lunatone, for every time a large enough rock is sent hurtling down to Earth, a Lunatone is born. These pokemon by themselves can not make Clefairy or other lunar pokemon evolve, for they are too large, but when sufficiently sized pebbles break off from them – either in battle, or in the case of some unscrupulous trainers, by chiseling off pieces in their sleep – usable moon stones are created.

Yet Lunatone possess far more lunar magic than simply the power to induce evolution. They can levitate like many lightweight ghosts despite being made of solid rock. They can impact the flow of water like their birthplace directs the tides, so they are often paired with water types in double battles and are used during hurricanes to delay flooding until they are inevitably knocked out by the heavy rains. During a crescent moon, they can heal the sick; during a full moon, pokemon who battle them mysteriously find that their items simply no longer work. And during a new moon, many trainers cease their travels in a frantic search for their Lunatone, who turned invisible at the same time as its celestial parent, only to find them in their pokeballs or drifting around their heads the moment the moon can be seen from Earth once more.

Interestingly, many of the feats which Lunatone perform today are weaker versions of those ascribed in myth to the moon goddess Cresselia. Perhaps the legend of Cresselia was simply how travelers from Sinnoh described and embellished tales of Hoenn's Lunatone. Or perhaps it is that Cresselia imbued the moon itself with the powers which its fragments, the Lunatone, have maintained to this day.


	338. Solrock

It is said that when Arceus made the sun, it buried tiny fragments of it in volcanoes around the earth, so that brave Gloom, Sunkern, Cottonee, and Petilil could use its energy in order to evolve. Yet just as the sun burns with enormous energy, changing in form over the years, so too did the Sun Stones; if unused for too long, they evolved into a pokemon called Solrock, capable of channeling much of the power of the sun.

Solrock, because they contain pieces of the sun itself, have become used in technology in more ways than most people can even imagine. In ancient times, they were used to magnify sunlight, reflecting the sun's power in order to sink ships and water pokemon; most grass pokemon have this ability as well, but no grass pokemon is as capable of levitation or angling sunlight. Despite not being classified as fire pokemon, they are as capable as Magcargo of super-heating items (but with far better control), an ability which led to their use in alchemy to melt a variety of metals. In Fuchsia City, rumor even has it that they were used to grow a variety of poisonous plants in caverns and basements, for exposure to the outdoor sun carried a risk of revealing their secrets.

Perhaps most valuable of all (at least to Man), although the sun itself runs on a timescale far longer than human comprehension, it is said that humans developed the concept of time by watching how shadows moved across a Solrock at rest. It was in emulation of this ability that the first sundials developed, and although modern clocks use twenty-four hours instead of eight, one can still see the inspiration Solrock provided in their round shapes and the "hands" which resemble a Solrock's legs.


	339. Barboach

Barboach have been derisively referred to as mud kings, for the although they dominate their mud habitat, it is home to very few pokemon of note. In this urbanized era, it is seldom appreciated how they gained this appellation, for most Barboach communities created the very mud pools they call home.

Barboach are beloved by farmers, for they turn vast fields of dried-out dirt and into giant puddles of mud. These pokemon are often imported in areas of drought or damaged irrigation systems to moisten the soil and allow plants to thrive again. Yet despite being called kings, Barboach are not on top of the food chain; many grass pokemon such as Oddish will feed on the Barboach as well as the moistened soil they provide.

But there are others who despise the Barboach. Electric pokemon fear them, for mud robs their lightning of its power. They are the first to flee whenever the Barboach appear, and will travel great distances in order to escape the Barboach farms. And Barboach colonies often expand into nearby water, turning sediment to mud as well. Yet because Barboach are skilled burrowers and adept at defending territory, although next to useless in traditional one-on-one battles, they usually survive long enough to evolve into Whiscash and turn their puddle into a nest. Few ponds are completely turned to mud this way, for a single Barboach can only create so much mud and they are not without predators in the water. Nonetheless, Barboach are considered among the worst of invasive species for the disruption they wreak upon maritime ecosystems, impacting fishermen as well as rare pokemon.

For this reason, Barboach usage in agriculture has been a subject of fierce political debates since time immemorial, and many times has driven farmers and fishermen into open war.


	340. Whiscash

There are many pokemon who shake the ground as a battle strategy, yet these earthquakes are extremely localized, to the point where an indoor pokemon gym, if built properly, can easily withstand even a powerful pokemon's earthquake. The major exception to this are the Whiscash, a pokemon once used in forecasting to predict large earthquakes at the expense of minor ones, but which were driven out of Kanto and Johto after leveling large metropolises in battle.

Before plate tectonics were fully understood, Whiscash were thought to be the source of all earthquakes, and the propensity of their large, curled whiskers to stand on end was believed to be a warning Whiscash shared with those they did not wish to injure. Today, it is understood that many (but not all) large earthquakes have nothing to do with the area pokemon, and in Hoenn they have become valued for their ability to predict earthquakes, even those they themselves cause – a habit those in other regions often deride as pure madness.

Whiscash can call Hoenn home because Team Magma does likewise. Team Magma does not expand the land by leveling hills and filling bays in the way land reclamation is done elsewhere, for this method offers little hope of conquering more than a tiny sliver of the sea. Instead, they use powerful ground pokemon such as Groudon to push out the land and raise the sea floor to rapidly expand the land's surface, a process which brings new earthquakes with every victory. Team Aqua do not use Whiscash to predict natural disasters, but to prevent disasters which are entirely man-made.


	341. Corphish

The term Corphish can be understood to mean "A fisher of corpses," for both the verb sense of fish and the term corpse were derived by this pokemon's name. These pokemon hunt by concealing themselves in marine sediment, opening their large, orange claw, and waiting for other pokemon to swim by to strike. Yet Corphish are a small pokemon, and their claws have achieved their enormous size in order to hunt the most common prey in their habitat: fish like Goldeen or Magikarp far too large for a single Corphish to digest in one sitting.

Corphish do not waste their extra food, but make sincere efforts to bury their prey in sand, yet amidst shifting tides and hungry thieves they rarely manage a second meal. Typically, the pokemon they kill are eaten either by true scavengers such as Wingull, or by larger, ordinarily predatory pokemon such as Whiscash which attack Corphish to steal their prey. Yet this can be dangerous, for if a Corphish is powerful enough, the larger predators will join their initial catch in the sand. Indeed, some Corphish manage to amass large stockpiles of would-be scavengers and are able to forsake fishing for weeks at a time.

It is this primitive form of food preservation which have given Corphish their longtime association with the dead. In some places and eras, the Corphish were seen as the ultimate invasive species, barbaric conquerors of the ocean who left behind a trail of bodies wherever they swam. Yet many peoples have likened their care for their prey's bodies with the human customs of mummification and the burial of the dead. Many archaeological excavations have found large Corphish figures in ancient cemeteries positioned as guards, presumably in the hopes of warding off grave robbers and evil spirits alike.


	342. Crawdaunt

Although most large water pokemon in Hoenn are prized by Team Aqua as shock troops, Crawdaunt were initially seen as an invasive species, having replaced the indigenous Kingler after being introduced from afar. Fact turned to myth, "across the sea" became "from the sea of stars" and the yellow pentagram on its forehead became identified with its celestial home. And in an era where falling stars meant wishes from Jirachi, the belief spread like wildfire that holding the star of a Crawdaunt would make someone impervious to wounds; the propensity of Crawdaunt themselves to be wounded in battle made little difference against the power of an insane hope.

The first time people carried Crawdaunt stars into battle, it ended in disaster; the fighters were reduced to slamming their heavy stars onto their enemy's shields in fury because they were doing nothing to make them invincible. Yet the believers in the power of the Crawdaunt star were undaunted, raised a new generation of Crawdaunt in the hopes that their stars would protect them, and weakened their furor while maintaining the inexplicable conviction that Crawdaunt's stars had some magical power to defend their users.

At one point, all that remained of this belief was a defensive style using these stars to block attacks in the manner of the Crawdaunt themselves. It promised invincibility if truly mastered, but could always blame a lack of mastery for the fact that it was never achieved. Yet in time, the pupils of this style noticed that, although not invincible, many Crawdaunt did not take extra damage no matter how well-timed or hard an attack connected with their body.

The way in which the people and pokemon of the Crawdaunt Star fighting style avoid critical hits has not been copied by outsiders to this day


	343. Baltoy

Baltoy are stylized pottery given life in ancient times to use their psychic powers in order to accompany great kings to the underworld. Yet when buried with them, they found themselves not the afterlife which the priests had promised them, waging glorious battles commanded by the spirit of their king, but stuck in the dirt next to skeletons or encased in elaborate tombs. The afterlife, if there is such a thing, is not something a live pokemon can enter, no matter the ritual used or method of burial.

And thus the Baltoy had no choice but to escape, and took to moving dirt slowly with their minds. This method is next to useless, but some Baltoy colonies have failed to discover the alternative. Every now and then they succeed, escaping to dry land and unveiling a major archaeological discovery from thousands of years ago. Yet although Baltoy were intended by their creators to be psychic pokemon, but they were made from baked earth and carry within it the power of ground pokemon. Whenever a Baltoy learns to channel this ability, they learn to dig like Sandshrew if not Diglett, and escape with ease to the surface, shares this information with its neighbors, and escapes to the surface, often via a roundabout route to hide the location of their burial.

However they break free, they find themselves in a world changed beyond recognition. More often than not, they gravitate to the ruins of the society that built them, and strive to protect their heritage instead of their kings. Perhaps this was what their builders intended all along, and the stories of helping kings fight in heaven were merely a way to convince the people to make pokemon which would preserve their history.


	344. Claydol

The secrets of the civilization that made the Claydol have long been forgotten, and archaeology is only beginning to discover what has been lost for so long. yet these pokemon warp the laws of the material world in countless fascinating ways, from disrupting the flow of time to make slow pokemon move first in battle, to rewriting the laws governing matter in a way in which alchemists could only dream.

Claydol must sacrifice items to perform this alchemical magic; sometimes two, if they have obtained undesired possessions, but most often a single item will suffice. The items they sacrifice and gain range from the standard berries to remarkable treasures which men spend fortunes searching for, or that pokemon believe to be the difference between victory and defeat in every match. Yet the Claydol's magic is highly situational; at times, they have been known to sacrifice treasures for berries instead of the other way around. Because of this many have suggested that, rather than being controlled by some combination of psychic powers and chemical laws, a Claydol's magic is governed strictly by random chance.

Yet Claydol do not use this magic to accumulate vast collections in the way humans dream of using alchemy, but gather only six items at most, and frequently use up whatever they summon within days of executing their cosmic power. This habit is alien to us, and indeed often appears to do more harm than good, when they are found searching ruins desperately for items to sacrifice to summon what they need. Yet perhaps the Claydol and their 648 brethren find the human habit of carrying no more than six pokemon, no matter how useful a seventh could be for handling obstacles even when league rules ban it from battle, to be every bit as bizarre.


	345. Lileep

Much has been written about the imperfections of the fossil record, and how unless they are resurrected, science could offer educated guesses at best as to the colors of extinct pokemon. This did not whatsoever lessen the shock among the scientists at Devon Corporation when, having brought one to life for the first time in one hundred million years, they discovered that Lileep were actually purple.

This discovery has revised a great deal about our understanding of Lileep, and given cause to wonder how much insight humans can truly have into so distant a past. Lileep were believed to be camouflage hunters who disguised their bodies as water and their roots as seaweed, but barring remarkably poor vision on the part of their prey, their strange color would have given any such trap away. The other hypothesis of the time, that the Lileep were green from chlorophyll, is true of a tiny minority of resurrected fossils and of their evolved form of Cradily, but the lack of green in normal Lileep makes this hypothesis untenable.

If they were not powered by the sun or predation, only one explanation remains, one more suited to undying pokemon than those capable of death and reproduction. Lileep were remarkable for their ability to anchor themselves to the ground, and have recently shown themselves capable of healing damage at a remarkable pace when sufficiently ingrained. Most believe that Lileep absorbed energy from rocks which fall into the ocean, and that they somehow managed to obtain all their nutrition by digesting natural minerals alone. Others, citing their lack of water attacks, have wondered if they were truly deep-sea pokemon at all, and suggested they had a custom of ocean burial and avoided the need for sunlight by preying on the distant ancestors of Onix and Geodude.


	346. Cradily

The most unusual thing about the Cradily is that they ever went extinct to begin with. Although the Permian-Triassic mass extinction which wiped these pokemon out was the greatest catastrophe in all of natural history, trainers remain baffled by the fact that the Cradily were among them, for it seems that nothing can take these pokemon down.

Cradily have acquired this reputation not only from the difficulty of attacking their tough, rocky bodies, but also from the remarkable ease at which they repair damage by ingraining their roots and leeching energy from other pokemon through their seeds. Although nurses are required to learn how to treat every pokemon, few of them ever encounter a Cradily, for even after they lose battles they often pop back up before their trainer arrives at a pokemon center. They do not always win, but every match they participate in is a lengthy one, for they must rely on slow, time-consuming measures to whittle down their foes. The Cradily survive extreme heat with ease, and can withstand cold winters, although not as easily as they do other climates. They can live in water and on land, they can survive darkness for months at a time. The only secret to growing them in this era is not to let them starve. And yet somehow, two hundred fifty million years ago, they went extinct.

Yet maybe it is not truly the original Cradily which were brought back from extinction. After all, nearly every Cradily alive today was resurrected from a fossil, which by definition is made of rock that has lasted through the ages; the second generation is only now beginning to bloom. Perhaps it is the hardiness of their fossils, not that of the ancient Cradily, which makes these pokemon so difficult to defeat.


	347. Anorith

Anorith are not a particularly powerful pokemon, but have no natural predators, for their rocky exoskeleton provides little in the way of taste or nutrition for modern hunters. Conversely, their eight winglike fins give them unparalleled maneuverability in the water, from which few of the water pokemon they have taken to feeding on can escape. Their population has grown exponentially since their resurrection, albeit from a few released pokemon, and the gloomiest projections see them dominating the sea as they did in the Cambrian once more.

Whenever an invasive species of pokemon poses a threat to an area's ecosystem, it is standard practice to find them trainers, remove them to their natural habitat, or in extreme instances cull them to protect native species. The ethics of such a situation are considerably more complex when the pokemon in question has been extinct for eons. The researchers who have brought the Anorith back have advocated for a large area to be set aside as a wildlife reserve for them and other extinct pokemon, but finding such land would be difficult, and mixing and matching species from different eras into their own ecological niches no easier. Worse, even a steady trickle of escaped Anorith would be far more dangerous than the still numerically small number in the wild today.

At the moment, the novelty of the resurrected Anorith, despite their relative weakness in battle, has allowed adequate trainers to be found. Indeed, in Sinnoh demand can not be met by feral Anorith and their descendants, so trainers become fossil hunters in the Underground to get an Anorith of their own. It is hoped that a trainer will discover and science revive one of Anorith's predators in order to restore the ecosystem to equilibrium before Hoenn faces catastrophe, or the Anorith a second extinction.


	348. Armaldo

Armaldo fossils rarely share strata with Anorith, and despite their larger size and convergent evolution with dinosaur pokemon such as Tyranitar, the similarities to their predecessor could not be ignored. Yet for nearly a century after their discovery, Armaldo were believed to be a successor species to Anorith, descendants of some strange line which had survived the extinction of their marine ancestors and come to walk the land.

The Armaldo walked the earth soon after either Groudon or plate tectonics created the first continents, when the new, land-based pokemon had yet to diversify into the seventeen types known today and relied primarily on normal attacks which only scratched Armaldo's rocky surface. Very few Anorith fossils date from this period, because the availability of frequent battles, their tough hide, and their status as apex predator meant that virtually all land Anorith survived to become Armaldo. The wounds from these battles have often been fossilized; many an Armaldo fossil is found with numerous scratches on its exoskeleton, but rarely did they turn into true scars. It is only in the later eras that wounded Armaldo fossils began to appear, and most of those wounds bear the signatures of boulders: the very material their armor was made from became a weapon for their undoing. After all, despite their enormous size, Armaldo were still arthropods with all the vulnerability to rock attacks characteristic of their phylum.

It is only in modern times, when the first revived Anorith evolved, that the connection between the two pokemon was fully understood. It was not only genetic evolution, but the evolution which occurs within a single pokemon's lifetime. As textbooks are updated with this information, schoolchildren will once again be confused by the difference between the evolution of species and the evolution of individual pokemon.


	349. Feebas

Feebas, contrary to popular belief, are not an endangered species. Their population size, although low, has remained more or less steady through recorded history. Once their evolution method was discovered they became prized by trainers and coordinators alike, and the Feebas population today is likely higher than ever before.

What Feebas are is remarkably difficult to catch. Part of this is attributed to their camouflage; their appearance, although unappealing to human aesthetic tastes, shields them from trainers and pokemon alike. Furthermore, unlike nearly all other water pokemon, Feebas have sufficient eyesight to distinguish actual food from a fishing rod's lure under nearly all conditions. Only in the murkiest areas of the Hoenn swamp they call home – areas which change constantly with the angle of the sun to the earth and the growth of aquatic plants - can a Feebas be fooled into confronting a trainer. Fishermen from as far as Unova enter Hoenn's swamp in the hopes of catching a Feebas themselves: Wailord may be the pokemon novels are written about fishermen confronting, but the Feebas are actually a much greater challenge. Those who seek to train one often attempt to catch one in the wild, but rarely do they succeed; unless they are astonishingly lucky, they will give up, save up their money, and buy one from a breeder.

Interestingly, despite their skill at avoiding capture, Feebas are not particularly difficult pokemon to tame. Perhaps the difficulty of finding them is a test to prove their trainer's worth, or perhaps once they leave the one swamp in Hoenn where they can be found, they have nowhere to go but back into their pokeball.


	350. Milotic

The original pokemon contests had beauty as their sole category, and developed out of arguments between poets and philosophers as to which pokemon were the most beautiful. It was hoped that with enough judges and a format based on combining aesthetic appeal with motion and function, and where type advantages were irrelevant, beauty could be determined not by photographers and arguments but by competition, much as battles determined power.

A few years after it had started, an elite coordinator shocked Hoenn by entering a Feebas, often considered the ugliest of pokemon species. Even more bizarrely, the Feebas managed to win. It was whispered for some time that the scoring rules rated beauty not by any overall metric, but relative to their species, or that the judges were bribed. Yet the rules, published soon after, said no such thing, and two new judges did not prevent the Feebas from repeating next year.

But the repeat sparked no accusations, for before the Feebas could be presented with its victory ribbon, it evolved into a Milotic; a pokemon thought at the time to be a myth. The beauty of this multicolored, sleek, and twirling pokemon had sparked dreams for generations, so if it evolved from Feebas, then Feebas could not be without beauty of their own.

The next year's contest was won by that Milotic, but it was the other, unorthodox contestants who captured the most attention. The story had grasped Hoenn's imagination, and trainers from near and far entered all sorts of pokemon never considered beautiful in the hopes of pulling off a surprise victory or discovering an evolution. None succeeded, and few of their techniques could be called beautiful, but the intelligence, toughness, cuteness, and coolness they displayed led to the diversification of pokemon contests into the five categories known today.


	351. Castform

There are five versions of Weather Ball, Castform's most famous technique, and five associated forms of weather known to impact pokemon battles: normal, hail, sunlight, rain, and sand. (A few classify heavy fog as a sixth, despite its rarity, weather ball's unresponsiveness to this condition, and the fact that no known pokemon can create it.) There are, however, only four forms which Castform can take, for they respond no differently than most pokemon to sandstorms.

It is currently thought that Castform's forms are a function not of the weather in itself, but of the associated temperature change; when past their melting point, as in intense sunlight, they turn to fire, when below freezing, as in snow or hail, they become ice. This theory requires an alternate explanation for their water form, which is still poorly understood, but currently states that Castform are subject to the same atmospheric conditions as rainclouds. Yet this theory is unsatisfying to many at the Weather Institute, for rainclouds do not change their form so dramatically.

These scientists believe instead that Castform are truly impacted by the weather, and have shipped in Hippowdon and Tyranitar from far and wide in order to run countless tests in the hopes of determining why Castform do not change with sand. Trainers have a similar interest in these studies, for Castform's vulnerability in these conditions have greatly weakened the versatility of this remarkable pokemon. So far, they have discovered only that Castform would much rather change the weather to rain than try to transform and battle in the sand. Perhaps this is because Castform, created by scientists, seek to please humanity. And while sun, rain, or snow all have their fans, even in the desert rain is far more beloved than sandstorms.


	352. Kecleon

There are seventeen colors traditionally associated with the seventeen pokemon types, and they have gained these associations through Kecleon. Kecleon do not control their change of color and type, but seem to disappear when in danger; this usually comes from another pokemon in battle, but Kecleon attacked by metal weapons or who fall from heights will likewise become a glistening, gray steel or turn sky blue and sprout wings. Yet while escaping fights with grass pokemon in tall grass this way is easy enough adaptation to comprehend, many have struggled to understand why Kecleon will also take on the qualities and coloration of dragon or ghost pokemon, which make them if anything more vulnerable in battle.

Some have suggested this color change is done for intimidation, not camouflage, for dragons in particular stick out against any background. Yet one can not scare off a Dragonite with a Dratini, and a "dragon" as small and weak as most Kecleon would struggle to scare even a Dratini! Others have proposed it to be a side effect, arguing that the extreme rarity of dragons and ghosts relative to other types make this a risk worth taking. Yet close relatives of the Kecleon can be found during the Mesozoic, when dragons were among the most common type of pokemon. Although their ability could theoretically be a late development, this is unlikely, for their ancestors possessed no other apparent way to protect themselves from predators.

Although the debate remains unsettled, many are beginning to take note of the Arceus plates discovered in Sinnoh's underground. and their similarity in color to the Kecleon's own colors. It increasingly appears that Kecleon's color change has a ritual explanation: rather than truly hiding, they channel Arceus' own power to convince predators that killing them would be sacrilege.


	353. Shuppet

It was once thought that Shuppet were the ghosts of those who died carrying jealousy or a grudge in their hearts, for wherever envy and vengeance are found these pokemon soon follow. Yet the opposite is true. Shuppet spent their previous lives as kings or champions, as fabulously wealthy magnates or CEOs, and rarely lacked for anything. If they had known envy in their youth, they had forgotten what it felt like; if they were wronged by someone, their wounds soon healed with the joys of splendor. But no amount of riches or admiration in life can stop the equalizer that is death. Nor can one move onto the next life after a proud life which left many wronged or jealous, yet imparted such little understanding of how they impacted others. Instead, they are doomed to wander the earth as Shuppet.

Shuppet do not track envy and grudges out of any sadistic pleasure, for they are not even the ones being envied: only in the most dire suffering do the living envy the dead. Nor is it truly, as has been often imagined, a source of nourishment. Instead, these pokemon are engaged in a long and detailed study which would put monks and scholars to shame. Only when they understand the emotions they lacked in life, and come to grips to the harm they caused others, can a Shuppet finally move on from this world.

A few Shuppet, however, form strong bonds in their journey of understanding. They stay around for the sake of those they come to care for, be they trainers or simply close friends; these are the Shuppet who become Banette and live as long as their last companions.


	354. Banette

Banette were once thought to be born from the spirits of dolls thrown away, due to the unmistakable resemblance they possess to a children's toy. Yet this explanation is lacking, for Banette do not materialize fully formed; they are the evolution of Shuppet, which despite a few trying to imagine them as the ghosts of spinning tops, are difficult to mistake for toys.

Yet in a way, this theory is true. Banette are the spirits of dolls, in a sense, but not the sort of doll given to children. These pokemon are born in one of two ways: when a trained Shuppet seeks to please its trainer by growing stronger and asks them to make a Banette doll, or when a wild Shuppet stumbles upon a discarded effigy used in magical rituals. Some explain a Shuppet's evolution as being caused by leftover magic in these dolls, while others speak of emotions given life which simply use the Shuppet as a vessel.

Although Shuppet are innocent creatures - often despised in past lives, but incapable of understanding grudges – Banette seem to feel nothing else. Their most famous attack involves stabbing themselves to curse their foe, and this is fitting, for they despise themselves for the evils they wrought in life nearly as much as they despise their enemies.

Even trained Banette can often shock their trainers with their fury, although it is a different kind. These Banette bear a grudge not for being discarded or the circumstances of their creation, but love their trainers and their dreams so much that they come to despise anyone who stands between their trainer and the championship. Care must be taken to ensure Banette cease to battle when the opponent becomes unconscious; given the choice, many of them would never leave an opponent alive.


	355. Duskull

The Great Wall of China has today been derided as a monument to foolishness, yet it would be centuries after its construction until China would be taken again by Rapidash riders. And when it was, it was not by Rapidash flames and arrows as in most of their wars, but by a remarkable subterfuge dependent on the Duskull.

Duskull had long been known for their ability to phase through the walls of tents or houses, yet as late as the Ming Dynasty they had never been used for sieges: although a Duskull can sneak into a fortress, it can do little once it gets there. Yet conquerors do not use Duskull for such petty schemes as assassinating sentries. Instead, an elite squadron of Duskull were trained to surround themselves in their own mist and emulate the sound of a Rapidash's hooves and the clank of armor. With an army behind them, they floated through the Great Wall and kept going south: Ming soldiers, convinced the wall had been breached and that they were surrounded, surrendered without facing a single fire blast. Deprived of their fortifications, wrapped up in internal chaos, and with their army deserting in droves for fear of battling an army of the dead, the Ming dynasty were vanquished.

This particular scheme has been used once in history, and only once, for future guards everywhere were trained not to take mist and noises at face value in areas where Duskull are common. Instead, soldiers spent the rest of the age of fortresses attacking in the fog, hoping to be mistaken for the Duskull who conquered China.


	356. Dusclops

Dusclops have often been compared to black holes, for both are famous for devouring light. For this reason, they have long been despised by spelunkers, for Dusclops find torches to be a delicious meal. The size of their flames is an easily digested yet filling portion, and because they are carried into caves, Dusclops need not go far to devour them.

Today, spelunkers are not the only ones Dusclops inconvenience. Modern Dusclops are known for targeting streetlights or raiding houses to eat the light from lamps, instead of hunting for luminous fire and electric pokemon like their predecessors. This change can be attributed to the rise of electrification, for it has become far easier for these pokemon to hunt human lights than pokemon ones and still return home by the rising of the sun, whose light the Dusclops find so bright as to cause them physical pain. Villages near caves Dusclops are known to inhabit often take precautionary measures, such as patrolling outdoors with Mightyena or Absol; rarely are these ghostly pokemon ever caught.

Yet while black holes are devourers from which no light escapes, a Dusclops' light shines brightly, trapped within its master. The single, glowing red eye in the center of their faces is made not of an iris, pupil, and the other parts of the normal eye; it is the perpetually glowing light of all which a Dusclops has ever eaten, and forms at evolution when a Duskull's food reserves are converted into pure light. When endangered, small portions of its eye may be used as a weapon to burn or blind the foe. Yet every Dusclops must be careful, for if they use up all their light, they are doomed to drift around as blind as a Zubat for the rest of their days.


	357. Tropius

Most herbivorous flying pokemon, such as Natu, use their wings for reaching tall trees in order to eat leaves and fruits and as a means of locomotion. Yet the long neck possessed by Tropius is more than sufficient to reach anything in the forests they call home, and their wings come in addition to four perfectly working legs. Nor do their wings offer any obvious advantages, such as escape from predators; this pokemon's slow acceleration and the canopies of the forests they call home make it difficult to escape. For this reason, Tropius wings had long been seen as the ultimate in useless ornamentation, a body part counterproductive to survival in the modern era.

Yet in this era of massive deforestation, the Tropius have spread their wings, and people throughout the tropics have been greeted by enormous Tropius flocks which cover the sky. They do not go north to south with the seasons like birds, but fly east or west in search of healthy forests where they can make a new home. A brave few are even moving into temperate forests and subsisting off their neck bananas until they can determine which of the local fruits are edible. While other tropical pokemon have become severely endangered, the Tropius population appears to have remained stable, although accurate surveys remain difficult because their locations have shifted massively.

Tropius need their wings because Man is not a new plague on the environment, but has only sped up a natural process which could fairly be called the mother of extinctions. The climate has never been truly static. No forest is eternal. And when a forest dies, the Tropius, unlike so many other species, have always managed to find another.


	358. Chimecho

It was once thought that Chimecho were found on Mount Pyre because it is the tallest mountain in Hoenn, and therefore the shortest distance from heaven. Today, the most common explanation refers to wind currents; Mount Pyre is where Chimecho caught in the winds, lighter than air, will inevitably, eventually land.

It is this population of Chimecho that accounts for the mountain's fast-paced, energetic, yet harmonious melody – a melody that has undoubtedly pulled many monks and priests its way. The Chimecho are not gregarious like when hanging from the roofs of shrines, as they were before the wind carried them away. Yet although never quiet, they shift shyly through the grass while their song echoes across the mountain. Perhaps it is their rarity that accounts for the old idea that one can only catch a Chimecho when they have first achieved enlightenment, one diminished in recent years by the capture of this pokemon by pokedex holders for study.

Interestingly, the reputation of Mount Pyre as a holy place predates the enshrinement of Kyogre and Groudon's famous orbs. It appears that the original source of this reputation as a holy place came from the human tendency to ascribe tall peaks to the gods, one reinforced in this case by the Chimecho; a singing mountain where a pokemon used as ornamentation for religious buildings can be found in the wild must truly be a holy sanctuary.

Yet if this is the origin of Mount Pyre's holiness, the Chimecho inhabited this mountain long before they were used as ornamentation, even if the wind currently magnifies their number. If Mount Pyre is Chimecho's natural habitat, and not a colony of feral pokemon long extinct in their original home, maybe they really did fall from heaven to play the melody of the gods on Earth.


	359. Absol

When it comes to natural disasters, Absol are used in Hoenn as Psyduck are in Kanto: their presence or unusual behavior leads to an evacuation, which usually averts the brunt of the calamity. Yet these shy pokemon have little ability to communicate with humans, so it is always far more difficult for the Absol's warnings to prevent disasters caused by man.

The Absol, like the oracles of old, are never wrong, for when no action is taken, disaster will always strike. But because humans, unlike volcanoes, can change their fates in countless ways, they are difficult to interpret properly. Consider the old tale of a prince of Hoenn sacrificed soon after birth on an Absol's appearance, only to see the realm fall into new chaos years later, for the king died without an heir. Scholars have debated for generations as to whether the disastrous, Absol-warned king could be worse than the anarchy that followed. Or recall the story of an Absol's howl which warned the indigenous Unovans when a conquering explorer set sail from the west, but because they could not know of events so far away, they waged war on one another, believing it had meant to warn them of a harsh winter which would require great stores of farmland to survive; the explorer discovered an exhausted, war-weary people too bloodied to resist gunpowder.

Some have sought to drive away the Absol, blaming them for creating new disasters, but to no avail; indeed, disasters seemed even more common once they were gone. And at times, the Absol's warnings were heeded: a foolish leader was overthrown, a city was fortified, or a lucky guess saved a nation from conquest. For Absol or no Absol, man can never truly drive away catastrophe, only fight desperately to improve their odds of survival.


	360. Wynaut

What is it that makes man seek out the unknown? Why chart the coast of Hoenn or sail deep into the ocean? There is one answer common to all explorers, despite many answers to that question which would seem obvious to ordinary men: "Wynaut?"

Yet Wynaut are a strange choice of pokemon to propel journeys into frightening seas. They are not particularly powerful, and once the secret of Lax Incense was discovered millennia ago, they ceased to be a rare pokemon; indeed, a few have speculated that they simply meant "Why not" instead of anything to do with this pokemon.

Yet to others, Wynaut are emblematic of the wonders beyond the known world. One of the first ships to sail from Hoenn, back when that land had forgotten all others, discovered an island once thought to have been imagined and still unmarked on most maps. Yet this island's existence has been corroborated throughout the ages, for all who located this island brought back the same strange, delicious berry whose seeds would grow in no other soil – and the same tales of an island as hard to locate as a mirage, inhabited solely by wild Wynaut.

The Wynaut are remarkable not for their appearance – for in truth they are nothing more special than baby Wobbuffet – but for their strange behavior. With no predators and no battles, pokemon evolution has come to a complete halt, yet many of the Wynaut on this island tower over even Wobbuffet. Some explorers wrote that they must surely give birth to Wynaut of their own, but none could cite eggs or other definitive evidence. This gave birth to the idea that the Wynaut, with their lives spent free of battle and a diet entirely composed entirely of Liechi berries, had discovered the secret of immortality.


	361. Snorunt

Much to the chagrin of the merchants of Snowpoint, a Snorunt's cloak is not actually made of gold. True gold is a much heavier, denser substance; a pokemon which wore it would have to be stronger than a steel type not to collapse under its own weight. These heavy cloaks are discarded when the Snorunt hibernate during the summer, and left outside the homes of whichever human had treated them with the most kindness during the previous year.

Humans are apt to make any shiny metal a medium of exchange, and the north of Sinnoh is not known for its mines. Snorunt cloaks were the base for the heavy, triangular coins of ancient Snowpoint and its environs, and remained that way for centuries. Yet unlike most other pokemon with a valuable body part, be it fur or perfume or nearly anything else imaginable, no tradition ever developed of hunting or farming Snorunt. Battles could damage the cloak's luster, and worse, offered a tell-tale sign of the method of capture; combat-won cloaks were looked on in that era as something akin to counterfeiting. And efforts to domesticate Snorunt for their cloaks fizzled out when the Snorunt gave the cloaks not to trainers or overseers, but to neighboring houses seemingly at random. This brought forth the widespread belief that Snorunt would grant good fortunes not only on those who treated one with kindness, but on those who lived worthy, upstanding lives as well.

In time, Snorunt cloaks became so beloved as heirlooms and symbols of good fortune that they were used to make jewelery and only sold when families came upon hard times. The carvings made from these cloaks, with their distinctive three-diamond pattern, are commonly worn in Snowpoint to this day.


	362. Glalie

Tourists from as far as Hoenn have been known to travel to Sinnoh in winter to see the Glalie command the snow, a sight of such beauty and majesty that pokemon contests in Sinnoh often take these months off, for they have such difficulty competing. The Glalie raise many a series of ice sculptures from the ground or transform falling snow into fast-moving images of falling pokemon, images that inspired the first animators.

Unlike the Cacnea, who do similar things with sand, Glalie do not use the snow to tell stories, for the effort required would distract them from their true calling. Glalie's control of ice is fundamentally a technique to win pokemon battles by turning the terrain into a weapon; their creations and shows are simply practice. By turning falling snow into a Pidgey's wings or a Rattata's fangs, Glalie learn to create edged shapes and harden snow for use in battle. When they learn to create sculptures by moving the snow with their power, they also learn to trap their foes in moving snow or summon walls to defend themselves.

Glalie remain too slow and dependent on favorable weather to win many matches in neutral conditions. But when battling at home, their practice pays off: their prowess in combat is legendary. After they have bested all foes in ordinary tournaments, many pokemon league champions have sought the strongest of Glalie villages in the midst of blizzards in the hopes of finding a new challenge. When this happens, the fans are nearly as excited by the Glalie's preliminary matches with one another, displays of command which use the ground and air alike as an icy and dangerous canvas, as they are with the champion's challenge. And against a top Glalie in a blizzard, even champions often walk away defeated.


	363. Spheal

A Spheal's fins are too short for anything except digging through snow; instead, they use them to steer when rolling around the many ice-filled caves they call home. Moving in this way is not easy, and stopping even harder; to cross from one end to another, a Spheal must solve many puzzles, stopping at some pillars of ice to change direction and angling their bounce off others. Indeed, young Spheal frequently wind up in the water on the lowest floors of caves, trying constantly to work their way back up only to fall again and again. Even older, stronger Spheal regard reaching the cave exit as a grand achievement, so they often bring back items from the outside as proof of their triumph.

The icy floors that Spheal call home are no easier to navigate for other pokemon, and humans venturing near carry escape ropes lest they be trapped there forever. To capture Spheal, trainers developed a custom of seeking out spots where their pokeballs would be returned to them by the incline of the ice, then rolling them at the Spheal. Because their other pokemon could do little more than fall, trainers began to whack the Spheal with these balls repeatedly to weaken their catch. When most shots missed, they used their feet to try again and again, often banking the balls off pillars of ice. They were as remarkable for their determination as their ingenuity; when the pokeball rolled back through their legs or off the ice sheet, they would start anew with their next one and keep going until either they captured the Spheal or (more commonly) they ran out of pokeballs.

It was the desire to spread this challenge to the rest of the world that led to the invention of pokemon pinball.


	364. Sealeo

Sealeo's hand-like sets of whiskers, used today to juggle pokeballs in aquariums and circuses, were developed to aid in the carrying of their young. Newborn Spheal are round and about the size of the pokeballs used today, so some have speculated Sealeo to simply be naturally adept at this. It is difficult to imagine a reason why they would juggle their young, but scattered sightings of them doing exactly that dot the historical record; like humans climbing trees, it has no more apparent purpose than to challenge one's self and see the world from a different angle.

Sealeo and their whiskers are also noted for the annoyance they pose to fishermen. The pokeball lures used by modern fishermen are round, yet a Sealeo's whiskers are too light to open it; instead, they use the lures to juggle, and do a remarkable job, shifting casually away from the efforts of fishermen to control their own lures until their would-be-captors gave up and went to some other part of the ocean. Sealeo are certainly a playful pokemon, but these taunts have another motivation; Sealeo prey on many of the same water pokemon that humans do. By simultaneously entertaining, challenging, and frustrating fishermen enough to make them go away, the Sealeo avoid being driven out as pests while protecting their next meals from overfishing.

Yet a pokeball is a pokeball, so every now and then a Sealeo slips up and the ball lands on its head, or they meet a fisherman with sufficient control to capture them – or in these days of scarcity in the oceans, are simply bribed out of the water by the promise of free fish. When this happens, they will gladly perform for audiences from their water tanks or ice rinks, provided they get their delicious reward.


	365. Walrein

The battle of Mossdeep has often been called the Thermopylae of Hoenn, although if the Spartans had Walrein in their armies, perhaps they would have lived to tell their heroic tale. In this war, an enormous armada of ships and water pokemon bent on subjugation had set sail for Ever Grande City – yet rather than offer battle, the bulk of the Ever Grande navy had taken this opportunity to launch an assault on Lilycove's dockyards. The attack would surely bring the war to a stalemate, provided, of course, that their homes, families, and queen in the virtually undefended capital would not first be taken hostage.

To defend their homes, Ever Grande turned to the narrow straits around Mossdeep, and to the hopelessly outnumbered Walrein corps and their trainers. In a fierce hailstorm which the defenders had undoubtedly created, about fifty Walrein floated in the water, but showed little inclination to go on the offensive. Instead, they swam in front of any pokemon which tried to advance and blocked attack after attack, frustrating enemy officers and pokemon alike, while their helmets and armor did little to protect themselves from the hail. When a Walrein was hit, it usually disappeared like a substitute; if they managed to hit the real thing, hail and leftovers usually soon healed their wounds. Every now and then the Walrein found an opening and used it to freeze or ram a few rivals, but they made little progress; every now and then a real Walrein was taken down, but they never left enough of a gap for the enemy to break through.

The battle went on in this way for nearly a day, until the exhausted Walrein were relieved by the returning victorious navy of Ever Grande.


	366. Clamperl

The six blue extensions surrounding a Clamperl's pearl center have often reminded many of thrones, and it is for this reason that many kings or queens with either native or traded Clamperl have placed them in their crowns. Unlike many pokemon used in jewelery, however, this served for centuries to protect the Clamperl; if they were only to be worn by monarchs, they had nothing to fear from overhunting, for monarchs have typically been rare in number. It was said then that how bright a Clamperl shone represented the power of the kingdom its wearer presided over, or when a weak king had one, that a bright Clamperl represented an auspicious fate.

Because Clamperl were so highly regarded as symbols of royal legitimacy, wearing one when not actually a ruler or a Spoink was tantamount to a declaration of rebellion. Therefore, the first act of many rebellions was their would-be leader (or in some cases, many rivals) poaching a Clamperl from waters owned by the crown. As for taking them from Spoink, a pearl which has touched the land loses must of its luster, and calls to mind only the dethroned – and it is remarkably difficult to remove an intact pearl from a Spoink without it hitting the ground first.

The association of Clamperl with royalty lost much of its power during the warring states era, when even weak warlords would fancy themselves great kings and fashion crowns out of Clamperl to boot. And what was left was vanquished during the early years of the Hoenn Republic, when the revolutionaries hunted these pokemon to near-extinction and encouraged everyone, king or commoner, to wear these crown pearls. Today, Clamperl, while expensive, can be seen in many forms of jewelery, and only historians remember that they were once reserved for rulers.


	367. Huntail

In the deep-sea trenches which Huntail call home, the sun's light can not penetrate, so the vast majority of pokemon there – few discovered yet by man – never developed much in the way of eyesight. It seems an understatement to describe Huntail as the exception, for while their other senses are poorly developed, their eyes are as sharp as a Noctowl's.

The reason Huntail are able to use their eyes is because Huntail are themselves a light source. Their glow was once thought to be a means to attract prey, but pokemon with a sense of sight have learned the hard way over generations to swim away from and not into the light. Yet because most deep-sea pokemon are blind, Huntail can be living flashlights without scaring away their prey. The Huntail actually hunt much like Luxray, but are camouflaged not by invisibility, but by the swaying, silent motion in which they swim; they are as difficult to hear as they are easy to see. What little noise deep-sea pokemon hear is that of a Huntail's fishlike tail, so rather than a predator swimming towards them, there are always a few fools who swim out to greet a neighbor.

The depths of the ocean are a harsh environment, and none have made it harsher than the Huntail. Perhaps this is why so many pokemon who do thrive in such environments, such as Shellder and even Clamperl themselves, wall themselves off from the world until they gain the power which comes with evolution. And even without a shell, shyness has become a way of life; Relicanth were all too happy to be mistaken for extinct, and there are undoubtedly many other pokemon still just as glad to remain undiscovered by man.


	368. Gorebyss

In order for a Clamperl to evolve into a Gorebyss, it is not enough that it simply find one of the mysterious deep sea scales; their own shell must also be smashed to pieces. For a trained Clamperl, this is handled in trading machines, for this is a traumatic event which no Clamperl will undergo when properly bonded to its own trainer; an event which trainers themselves are reluctant to assent to, and refuse to personally carry out.

In the wild, the Clamperl who wish to evolve in this manner must personally smash their shells. This task is as difficult as it is painful, for sufficiently tough rocks of the non-pokemon kind are rare in the deep-sea environment they call home, and pokemon such as Relicanth and Corsola rarely assent to being bashed repeatedly with Clamperl shells until one of them breaks. For most Gorebyss, the rock pokemon used is a second sacrifice on the path of evolution. Yet for others – those who survive this process in the wild or used this way in trading machines – it is the source of a lifetime bond as strong as that of Escavalier and Accelgor.

Although the shell is left behind regardless, it is not surprising that far more Clamperl choose to become Huntail, a form where the shell morphs to form the exoskeleton and is not completely left behind. Yet though they may regret it at times, the Gorebyss can point to their superior power as justification for their sacrifice. Indeed, a great number of shelled pokemon have learned to re-enact some part of Gorebyss' evolution ritual in order to dramatically increase their power and speed at the expense of their defenses.


	369. Relicanth

For centuries, Relicanth, like other well-known finds such as Armaldo and Omastar, were seen as a textbook example of an extinct pokemon. When the first were captured in the modern era with the advent of deep-sea fishing, many remarked that this pokemon had long been unknown to science. Yet unknown to science need not mean unknown to history; merely poorly documented enough that it was mistaken for myth.

The creators of the legendary golems, the so called "blind faith" community of Mount Coronet, were undoubtedly well aware that Relicanth existed, for they chose it and Wailord to be the twin keys to their automaton guardians. Records this community left behind show undoubtedly that they were aware of this pokemon, and explanations which rely on their awareness of fossils faltered after highly-publicized attempts to open up the gate with a well-preserved Relicanth fossil failed.

Yet the fact that this community must surely have possessed Relicanth has raised new questions. Their links to coreligionists as far away as Hoenn and Unova explain their access to Wailord, to be sure. But the technology to reach deep into the ocean was clearly unknown even to these people who could turn lifeless rocks and lumps of ice or metal into walking guardians of their sanctuaries. Some think it was the Wailord themselves who dove deep into the ocean to catch the Relicanth, but although Relicanth are captured every day by hungry Wailord, the lavish religious art of Mount Coronet depicts no Relicanth being carried in Wailord mouths!

Perhaps the true purpose of requiring Relicanth was not to unlock the guardians but to seal them away. Their seal was meant to be broken only when man had learned to accomplish the impossible, a time which only came long after their civilization had perished.


	370. Luvdisc

Luvdisc are often thought of as a symbol of love, and often exchanged by lovers in Hoenn on Valentine's day, but they are often derided as a poor choice for this honor. If Luvdisc represent the power of love, then love must be a weak and brittle thing, something demolished at the first sign of adversity, for Luvdisc are among the weakest of all fully evolved pokemon in battle.

Certainly there are plenty of cynics in the world who think that to be exactly the case, but they are never the ones giving exchanging Luvdisc with their desired soulmates. Yet as long as Luvdisc have been exchanged, poets, authors, and dramatists have poked fun at their utter weakness in battle, and many a broken-hearted trainer has berated their Luvdisc after a bad breakup for being completely useless.

To their credit, it must be remembered that the Luvdisc did not choose to be symbols of love, but were chosen to be one by humans. And although they are weak in battle, battle need not be the only thing a pokemon is good for. Luvdisc are pokemon who possess long natural lifespans, are adept at escaping predators, and although washed away long distances in the rain, will always return to their trainers. And although they are personally weak in battle, their heart-shape scales have the power to evoke memories in humans and other pokemon, strengthening them by bringing back techniques and passions that they should never have forgotten. Love, like the Luvdisc, can be a wonderful thing, but is of little use when expressed on the battlefield.


	371. Bagon

Although they do not wish to recover hit points, nor make their wishes on falling Jirachi, Bagon have long been held as a living testament to the power of wishes and dreams. Where most pokemon simply battle to evolve, Bagon must fight for their wings, a fight they carry forth by jumping off cliffs to will them to grow and hardening their body to survive the sharp descent. And those who survive will try again and again until they form their Shelgon cocoons and their wings begin to grow.

A Bagon's transformation into a Salamence is not a natural evolution which occurs through the aging process; indeed, Salamence vary dramatically in their age and power at the point of evolution. Instead, it is a power to be grasped after intense training and determination, their red wings made of the courage of their heart and the will to leave the ground behind. But evolution is not without its dangers, and the Bagon's will to fly that propels them off cliffs must also keep their bodies together when they land and pull them back up mountains for their next jump.

And Bagon have no shortage of willpower; indeed, it is said that the iron crest on a Bagon's head exists to hold it down and keep it looking forward, for they would otherwise constantly watch the sky. And it is certainly true that few if any pokemon fight harder for their goals. Yet humans are no different. The very existence of aviation, and the many tragedies in its development, and in a lesser respect, the existence of any technology at all, demonstrates that we are nearly as determined to make our dreams come true.


	372. Shelgon

When a Bagon jumps off a cliff, it gets wounded and hardens its body. When a Shelgon jumps off a cliff, it shatters whatever it lands on, be it rocks, castles, or skyscrapers, or even against solid ground it leaves a crack in the earth. A Shelgon's wings are still generating inside their cocoon, but in a way they have learned to fly, if only for short distances; their hard body makes them the perfect live wrecking balls to suspend from a chain, or in days of old, live ammo for catapults.

Shelgon are both living and in possession of limbs large enough to let them maneuver, but small enough to remain aerodynamic. Because of this fact they can correct for the frequent inaccuracies, especially in older ages, inherent in many mechanical systems of propulsion. They are armored enough to smash into anything with little pain, and experienced enough from their cliff-jumping as Bagon to ignore what pain they do feel. This made them the perfect reusable ammo in the age of warriors, for if a castle was not breached Shelgon could simply run back home. If the wall was successfully broken, the Shelgon could then join in the fight, creating havoc where they ran and breaking shields as easily as walls.

From time to time a Shelgon evolved in the midst of battle. Most of these pokemon, volunteering for the army solely to experience the thrill of flight, spread their own wings and flew away from the war. But from time to time a Shelgon had grown loyal to its comrades, and when one did it meant victory for its side. The devastation inflicted by a single Salamence upon a battlefield is the primary reason knights so prized anyone brave and skilled enough to slay a dragon.


	373. Salamence

Salamence have long dreamed of soaring through the air, but they win far more than wings when their dreams come true, and the wings they do win put other pokemon to shame. Although slower than Pidgeot at full acceleration, they are much heavier, yet despite their relatively small wings remain among the fastest pokemon on the battlefield.

Their speed is outclassed only by their raw power, for there are few things in life more terrifying to castles and pokemon alike than a charging, angry Salamence. In ancient times, Salamence were a feared menace, because of their penchant to breathe fire when celebrating personal triumphs – and burning down wooden villages in the process. Modern Salamence have suppressed that ability, for Salamence are a gentle pokemon by nature and valued fire not for the destruction it wrought, but for the beauty of its burning light. Yet countless Salamence had made enemies that way; although most survived the inevitable conflicts, they lived out their days away from civilization, often flying over villages where they were forbidden to land. Salamence today breathe the so-called breath of dragons, a blue breath weapon of reduced beauty, primarily of value for fighting off other dragon pokemon. Nor do wild Salamence still fly about with the force to topple skyscrapers and dragons alike, for as buildings grew taller, their uncontrolled flights grew far deadlier – to humans, not to the Salamence, who at worst would be left confused and disoriented.

Their techniques of old remain as feared as ever in pokemon battles, but today they must be taught to the Salamence. Technical Machines and specialized Move Tutors have drained many trainers of their savings, but the victories these techniques promise mean most trainers soon make back well more than their investment in the Pokemon League.


	374. Beldum

The pokeball is one of the greatest technologies known to man – the item which did as much as the opposable thumb to make man masters of its planet. The most advanced pokeballs of this era can capture any species on earth except humans, yet depending on which species they seek to capture, they do so with dramatically varying degrees of difficulty. The hardest pokemon to capture, at least among those whose existence can be reliably attested, is Beldum, which is said to be less tameable than the gods.

A Beldum's brain is remarkably skilled at advanced mathematics, and therefore although born in nature has often been compared to a supercomputer; its advanced mind is also the source of its psychic powers. Yet Alakazam are if anything more intelligent, and they are glad to be trained by man, so this alone can not explain Beldum's fierce independence. Some have sought the answer in a Beldum's magnetism interfering with the very structure of pokeballs, yet Magnemite are captured with ease. Others refer to their hand and ball shape – the very release of a pokeball from a trainers hand looks to them like a devastating injury, and unless they are too injured or distracted to notice, they are far too horrified to be captured. The theories are myriad, yet none can be proven, and all have their share of flaws; humans still have not neared the truth.

There are none who have yet learned how to communicate to the Beldum more than attack names and mathematical questions, and thereby learned to ask the Beldum themselves why they are so hard to capture. Yet this very failure may itself hold the answer: the Beldum have no desire to be trained by those who can not even ask them a simple question.


	375. Metang

Science fiction books and shows commonly depict Metang used as a means of speedy and reliable transportation, and there is an understandable appeal in this idea. Automobiles theoretically move as quickly as Metang, but they require clear and reliable roads, a rarity in this era; their only utility is in cities. Flying pokemon, the preferred means of intercity travel, are cautious navigators to a fault, refusing to carry humans to places where they have not yet flown, and demanding prompt recuperation at a pokemon center after the exhaustion necessary in carrying a rider. Seasoned travelers use them at first for return journeys, and only later to go all around the world, but for the average trainer travel is an arduous task indeed.

The few trainers capable of capturing Metang win not only a powerful pokemon, but a wonderful vehicle. They can maneuver capably through land and air at sixty miles per hour, around birds and land obstacles with equal ease. If they get into a collision, Metang can escape with barely a scratch provided the other party does not ignite; the rider is never harmed.

Yet Metang are living things, and machines built from Metang would not work. Metang's small surface requires the rider to stand up, and its metal coat is not a surface any foot or claw could hold onto at their speed; riders are kept in place only by the Metang's psychic waves. Mechanical equivalents would therefore do little more than lead to tragic accidents, yet have tempted many, for Metang are among the proudest and least tameable of pokemon.

They are a superb vehicle only for trainers who treat them well and win their respect; others will find their heads surrounded by force fields and be unable to board.


	376. Metagross

Metagross have never been used in large numbers for war, for catching one Beldum is hard enough; catching four is a feat which alone proves the greatness of their trainer. But when they have been seen on battlefields, they have single-handedly changed the outcome of wars in every period of history. Metagross are immune to Vileplume gas, swords, and bullets alike, there are few thing a modern soldier, let alone an ancient one, can do when faced with these levitating tanks. Explosives often fail to wound these pokemon, and even fire types struggle with their superb defenses and ability to smash the ground and spark earthquakes. Offensively, a single Metagross can clear a trench or destroy fighter jets by using its magnetism to call down meteors from the sky, or simply strike anywhere with fast-moving punches of their own; their punches called "bullet punches" as much for their speed as for the bullet-shaped chunks of metal they inevitably leave embedded in their victims.

Yet Metagross have the brains of supercomputers, and receives enormous amounts of data even while waging war. It is not unknown for Metagross to run away from combat or float above the battlefield, having come to the age-old conclusion that no matter how decisively they can win a battle, there are no victors in war. They often follow up this defection with assaults on the officer corps and politicians of both sides of the war, or printing out the results of their calculations which make very clear to the general public that both sides lose far more than they gain.

It is the Metagross as much as anyone who are responsible for ending the age of war.


	377. Regirock

Monuments made of stone are as old as civilization. From the Pyramids of Egypt to the Great Statue of Maiden's Peak, ancient peoples around the world have memorialized their deeds and heroes in the oldest of building materials: rock. The building of Regirock was no less herculean an undertaking, but whether by accident or design, it was given life.

Regirock predates Regice and Registeel by centuries, although theories still vary wildly about the age of Regigigas. It is still unclear whether it was always made to be a weapon, or whether it was designed as a statue, but its makers stumbled upon the secret of life. Regardless, the people of Mount Coronet, often victimized by their neighbors, relied on this pokemon as their ultimate defense – the rock fallen from Arceus which all men feared to touch.

Regirock also possess another remarkable ability, quite rare among living things – one which has protected it from the wear and tear of natural monuments, which decay when their civilizations fall. They possess the capacity to rebuild themselves, and may use any stone, regardless of type or color, to do so. Yet despite Regirock's immense power, no pokemon could stand up to the conquering armies which have often trod back in forth across Sinnoh – or practically any other part of the world. Regirock was once broken and its creators were forced into exile, but from everywhere they trod, they sent back stones to rebuilding their oldest protector into its current, composite form.

And then, when they again faced annihilation, they sealed Regirock away instead of sending it into battle, lest their greatest monument be lost forever.


	378. Regice

The entirety of human civilization has flourished in a single interglacial period, yet even in this short period (at least on a geological timescale) climate has never been static. Today, snow is found only at the top of Mount Coronet; in ancient times, this mountain froze over every winter, and the caves which connected it to the outside world were frequently sealed off. It was this barrier as much as any other factor which drove monks and refugees to first congregate there. And when Regirock was beaten and the people who built it scattered, the survivors began work on a new automaton, one made from a material even more common on their mountain than rock.

If the thick shield of ice which protected and sealed away their community in winter could bar the entrance in summer from invading armies, yet step aside for trade and travel, the people of Mount Coronet thought they would never again have anything to fear. For six warm months, Coronet enjoyed peace. Yet their foes had come to see ice itself as a pokemon because of Regice; when the army came, it did in winter, applying tactics used in pokemon battles to winter ice. Before it could enter its first battle, it had already become apparent that Regice would never be the barrier that Regirock had been. Its creators even began to contemplate suicide, for their work of years had given the enemy the idea which spelled their people's doom.

And then one of them commanded Regice to strike back. Regice would never be the wall that Regirock was, but it was a far greater attacker. In an instant, a deathly chill covered the entirety of Mount Coronet, and an invading army and a good many defenders would be preserved for generations in ice.


	379. Registeel

Until its predecessors of Regirock and Regice were better understood, Registeel was called the first automaton. Even today it is called the first true robot, despite its considerable antiquity. This was initially because Registeel is made of a surprisingly flexible metal which brings to mind the robots of today. Registeel's programming, although not using anything recognizable to modern computer enthusiasts, is also far more advanced than that of its predecessors; while certainly no Metagross, it was described by contemporaries as every bit as smart as a man.

Yet according to codices recently discovered in Mount Coronet, while Registeel was undoubtedly a capable warrior – a walking tank in an era when men fought with sticks and stones – unlike Regirock and Regice, when battle came to its mountain home it refused to fight. It did not do so out of cowardice - it walked through a battlefield and had no qualms about knocking out warring pokemon. But when humans came to kill each other, it would attempt valiantly to separate them. Yet both sides continued to try to kill one another – and in time, they succeeded, even if they had to walk around and over a giant moving steel pokemon to do so. Although Registeel would disarm them, it refused to even wound the soldiers; in time, the warring armies resorted to fighting with sticks and stones, but they fought on.

Registeel is today considered the first true robot because it is clear from the codexes of Mount Coronet that it followed what we now know as the first law of robotics: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.


	380. Latias

From its earliest depictions, Latias has always been described as female – a term applied extremely rarely to the pokemon called gods. And legends repeat that at times in her eternal life, she has taken human form, coupled with men, and reproduced. This was said to be the only way she could have children, for Latios, her only male counterpart, is her brother.

The first king of Hoenn was claimed to be the son of a legendary hero and Latias in human form – a claim always disputed by his rivals. Despite the efforts of official censorship, this was an era when most people bred their own pokemon for agricultural use, and knew full well that female pokemon gave birth to pokemon in the same evolutionary line. If Latias was crossed with a human, they claimed she would produce another Latias, or perhaps a Blaziken – for like Manaphy give birth only to Phione, so too would Latias refuse to relinquish her uniqueness and spread the powers of the gods too widely.

Yet this claim about coupling with Latias has been echoed in every age by the greatest of conquerors and trainers. Ordinary people can not even approach Latias; those who seek to chase her down will never come any closer than a flash of red and white across the sky. Yet when anyone living is found worthy by Latias, the descriptions agree she will race around the world until she meets them, take the form of a beautiful woman, and try to win their heart.

Latias still waits for a boy from Pallet Town to finish his pokemon journey and return to her side, and treasures the memories of the time she shared with him in Alto Mare City like nothing else in over a thousand years.


	381. Latios

Much has been made of the heroism Latios showed when he sacrificed his life to save Alto Mare City from an enormous, man-made wave; he has heard far more prayers in the year since his death than in the last decade of his life. Yet one question has piqued the curiosity of those who watch the jewel he left behind and theologians around the world alike: what happens when a legend dies?

To describe legendary pokemon as "dying" is technically a misnomer, for their spirits are turned away from the realm of the dead; with every death, they are born anew. Yet Latios is not like Ho-oh or Moltres, who rise instantly from their own ashes; its rebirth will be a long, slow process, aided a tiny bit by every wish and prayer for his swift return.

In Latios' absence, Latias continues to guard the city of Alto Mare from calamity, as Latios had for some time after Latias' death eons ago. Whichever of the two was last to die is considered the younger sibling, for they were first created simultaneously. Yet this shall be a trying time for the city, for no other city on earth is so imperiled by war and nature alike that it requires not one, but two legends to guard its shores. As the storms have grown more dangerous, its people have become among the most pious in the world. They hope that when Latios is finally reborn, he will still have a city to guard and a place to call home.


	382. Kyogre

When pokemon life first migrated onto the land, Kyogre is said to have tried to drown all the world, and Arceus itself created Groudon to protect the land from the sea. Kyogre has often been viewed as a storm god who still wishes to flood the earth, and therefore as an enemy of man, yet there are many who see a gentler side in this titan.

The peoples of ancient Hoenn, which depended on flooding for the production of rice, saw Kyogre as a god with a ferocious temper who must be appeased, but one who could be a powerful ally when given proper respect and devotion. Yet the inland peoples of Hoenn's mountains paid more heed to Groudon, and those of its coast to Kyogre. They soon joined alliances called Aqua and Magma, and Kyogre's quarrel with Groudon soon spilled over into wars between men.

Initially, the League of Aqua sought the expansion of rivers and rainfall, and therefore an increase in arable land, but centuries of hostility have radicalized them. Today, Team Aqua is often motivated more by faith than reason and shows only the dimmest recognition that man is not an aquatic species; many of its members advocate that people use modern technology to abandon the land, or live only in lagoon cities like Alto Mare or create giant villages of boats.

Why is a god so hostile to the very existence of the continents nonetheless often a friend to man? Team Aqua argues that man is not a true land species, but one which depends on irrigation to eat and lives overwhelmingly along coasts and rivers. Team Magma retorts that man's foolishness is already melting the polar icecaps through the greenhouse effect, and that the industrial revolution offers Kyogre its best chance for victory in eons.


	383. Groudon

Although Groudon was created not to conquer the sea, but solely to defend the land, in its ceaseless war against Kyogre it was ultimately convinced that the sea must be destroyed, no matter the cost. It is a god of volcanoes and land reclamation, of desert and drought, but also of caves and homes which shelter men from the rain.

Team Magma has its origins primarily in the people of Hoenn's mountains and its one desert, nomadic peoples who survived by hunting and raiding and hated the ocean. They hated it partially because water pokemon bested them in combat, but mostly because whenever the sea or rivers expanded, so did the people of the coast expand inland to steal their pastures and convert it to farmland. Groudon is also honored by those who lost homes to piracy or storms and sought revenge, or by those who made a living on volcanic islands or other lands recently reclaimed from the sea, and where Groudon is followed Team Magma is never far behind.

Centuries of warfare and megalomania on the part of religious leaders and gods alike has driven Magma, like Aqua, to madness. Today, they seek to build over the ocean as a cure for overpopulation, and they try to level mountains and fill in continental shelves and dam rivers and end rainfall so the water level could drop. There is at times merit in some of their ideas; for instance, cities have benefited from land reclamation technology pioneered by Magma. But if ever implemented on a global scale they could be nothing but a disaster, and Groudon's dream is far larger than Hoenn.

If they were ever victorious, Team Magma and Groudon would leave the planet as barren and lifeless as Mars before they realized their folly.


	384. Rayquaza

Arceus is a god of creation not meant to intervene directly in the world's affairs, so when Groudon and Kyogre's feud threatened to tear the world apart, it created Rayquaza as a peacemaker. Yet as tension turns moderation to extremism, and war leads in turn to more war, so has Rayquaza's cult never been able to match Kyogre or Groudon's and inspire men to create a world of peace and harmony. For even if Rayquaza were not a god of peace, the sky does not offer Man the bounty of the sea or land, only a target for his dreams.

There have been places in Hoenn where Rayquaza did inspire devotion; the builders of the Sky Pillar paid this god homage, as do the people of Fortree City today, who live in treehouses and train birds and dragons. But far from mediating conflicts, Rayquaza's followers, with the notable exception of Oda Nobunaga, have been forced to withdraw from them to preserve their own lives.

It is only with the fears of the modern era – new wars with far deadlier weapons than old and the folly of civilization endangering the planet's very ecosystem - that Rayquaza has begun to earn Man's prayers. When chemical usage by humans began to deplete the ozone layer, Rayquaza became a symbol of the fight to protect first its ozone habitat, and then the environment at large. And in an age where environmental damage is joined by Team Aqua and Magma's efforts to summon forth the warring titans of old, many have found comfort in the idea of a god trying to keep everything in harmony – and inspiration, too, for Rayquaza can not triumph alone.


	385. Jirachi

The seven days every millennium or so when Jirachi is awake are among the most dangerous in human history. We are all lucky that Team Magma and Aqua wasted their efforts resurrecting Kyogre and Groudon; had they thought to awaken Jirachi, whoever reached it first would have had their world-wrecking wish granted in an instant and could not have been defeated in battle.

Nearly one hundred years ago, a man conscripted into a brutal, global war declared a plague upon the house of those who had wronged him, and Jirachi interpreted his wish to mean the human race and brought forth would be the deadliest pandemic in human history. About fifteen hundred years ago, a well-meaning young woman wished for the Hoenn Empire, ruled by a cruel tyrant, to be stricken from the earth – and a meteor soon destroyed the imperial palace as a barbarian horde sacked the capital. But although the woman had hoped for a better tomorrow, she was rewarded only with centuries of anarchy and the collapse of a great civilization. Around one hundred and fourteen centuries ago, a scared and freezing Swablu wished for a warm bed at night. The ice sheets which covered our planet receded, and Man expanded around the world.

There is no telling when Jirachi will next wake; it is believed to do so only once every millennium, but human history is not long enough to confirm this pattern, and it is not in an even thousand-year cycle anyway. Jirachi, like the asteroid on which it fell to Earth 65 million years ago, is a disaster which can not be prepared for or mitigated, only averted by luck. So all we can do is hope the next person to find it will wish for it to grant wishes no more.


	386. Deoxys

It has long been understood that man was not alone in the universe; one need only look at the moon to find the rock that Clefairy and many other pokemon call home. Yet the recent discovery of Deoxys has given man cause to wonder anew about the rest of the galaxy, for while Clefairy and Nidoran could be mistaken for earthlings, Deoxys is so unlike any other life we know.

Deoxys' structure bears a clear resemblance to a virus, and although it mutated on the way to earth, it appears to have gained little but the ability to switch between formes and survive without a host. Yet it is the size of a man, can be captured in pokeballs, and is powerful enough to do battle with the gods Just what would be enormous and powerful enough for this pokemon to call a host is enough to terrify any scientist's imagination. We are not alone, and when the challenge from extraterrestrial pokemon – or perhaps lifeforms like humans, who tame pokemon and can not be captured in pokeballs – comes, Deoxys has shown us that we will be horribly unprepared.

We can only hope they are friendly, and that man's capacity for kindness, not for the violence that so often follows fear, will dominate our first encounter. And it is here that Deoxys offer us a reason to hope, for if a scared, mutated, intelligent virus from distant space can find a home on this tiny planet and learn to enjoy the company of humans and pokemon, perhaps its hosts, whenever they arrive, will do the same.

* * *

This concludes the Hoenn arc of Pokedex. I'd like to again thank the rest of Ficfags Anonymous (especially Vethica, whose helped with more chapters than anyone) for the motivation they've provided and the editing help, and my readers for encouraging me and sticking with this fic – when this story first started on 4chan's /vp/, I never thought so many people would enjoy it, and I'm still awed by the reception it's received. See you in Sinnoh!


	387. Turtwig

Cyrus the Great of Persia, a famed conqueror from which the recently defeated leader of Team Galactic had taken his name, is said to have kept a supply of Turtwig with remarkably strong shells. He demanded tribute in soil and water from every province – not particularly valuable goods, and therefore thought of as symbolic – as a way to let his Turtwig grow big and strong. His collection was kept with him at all times by the throne as symbol of the size and wealth of his empire. Whenever a province remained loyal long enough that its Turtwig evolved, it would be given to that province's governor – partially as a reward, for Grotle and Torterra conferred immense prestige, but also to quash rebellions and maintain public order.

Turtwig grow slightly differently depending on the composition of the water and soil, most notably in the shapes of their leaves and what shades of green color their bodies. Yet this very diversity which made Cyrus' menagerie possible would ultimately dwindle the numbers of Turtwig to extinction. Human activity, such as waste treatment, farming, and irrigation (and in more recent eras, industrial pollutants as well) has led to soils slightly different in composition from those found in prehistoric times. Although in most plants and grass pokemon, these differences are too modest to be noticed, they have had a catastrophic impact on the wild Turtwig population, which is believed to have gone extinct in many regions including Sinnoh.

A sufficient number of Sinnoh Turtwig have remained in the local pokemon professor's research laboratory to provide a viable breeding population, and digs in the Underground have found soils apparently identical to those of ancient Sinnoh. As of this writing, it appears the Sinnoh Turtwig will survive for generations of trainers to come.


	388. Grotle

Berry bushes can grow quite effectively in the loamy soil on a Grotle's back, and wild Grotle were once the primary way in which berries were spread throughout Sinnoh. In their lengthy seasonal migrations through forests, Grotle would often roll themselves over to push berries from the bushes on their back into the proper soil, in order for them to grow into new plants. This provided the Grotle with a reliable food supply, for Grotle lack the limbs needed to eat their own berries, and attempts to eat them by rolling over leave the berry too covered in dirt for them to enjoy the taste.

The distribution of berry trees has shrunk noticeably with the extinction of the wild Grotle, and finding similar patches in the ground today requires active searching and care on the part of pokemon coordinators. Pokemon contests in Sinnoh were once easy for people to enter, with a supply of berries for poffins requiring little more than a walk in the woods; today, most coordinators start by purchasing needed berries from a shop, and seek out hidden patches of soil in which to grow a regular supply of berries.

A few coordinators have instead gone back to the source and received Grotle from breeders or professors, which they use initially to grow berries for their other pokemon. Yet Grotle themselves are renowned for their hardiness, and have increasingly been seen in Tough contests in addition to their usual role as berry growers. For once they watch their first contests, few Grotle are content to grow berries while remaining on the sidelines.


	389. Torterra

After they evolve from Grotle, Torterra quickly get used to Sudowoodo impersonating the trees on their back, or Starly nesting in the real trees, and as they grow in size they become home to a wider and wider variety of pokemon. There is no known limit to a Torterra's natural lifespan, but when they reach a sufficiently colossal size they cease to reproduce, become unable to eat, and must survive on photosynthesis. Often, bereft of energy, they go into periods of hibernation which can last for millions of years.

Pioneers have often tried to avoid building their cities on the backs of Torterra, but these pokemon have grown so large and covered in dirt, rock, and vegatation there they are impossible to avoid. Whole cities have been found relocated after a night of the ground shaking and moving beneath them, or dug deep into the ground to be confronted with a telltale white spike or green shell, and travelers have often been knocked over by powerful roars, then watched the Torterra on whose back their destination rested walk briskly away. At times, the Torterra do battle with one another, the world begins to shake, and people fall to their deaths off the rounded sides of its shell or are trampled by a pokemon which dwarf even Wailord in size. Snorlax may block the road, but Torterra **are** the road, and often the destination as well.

Torterra are adept swimmers and perfectly buoyant, and many a Torterra has been mistaken over the years for an uninhabited island. Yet nothing could have prepared us for the relevation that one of the most terrifying parts of our foundation legend was absolutely true. One can only wonder what will happen to the civilization on its back when the Torterra named Sinnoh awakens once more.

* * *

Lyraeon deserves full credit for giving me the idea for this entry and then, after I somehow didn't write it down, remembering it in great detail months later. She has my complete thanks.


	390. Chimchar

Chimchar had long been noted as the only wild fire types in Sinnoh. Even if Heatran really exists, its home in Stark Mountain is not in Sinnoh proper, but on a small island to its north. And the wild Ponyta noted by many travelers from other regions are actually feral.

Because of the cold climate, Chimchar have long been beloved in Sinnoh, for it was these pokemon which kept homes warm in the winter for generations and kept bundled-up travelers well-heated on cold winter nights. Even wild Chimchar were recorded as being generally friendly to humans; when they came near wooden structures they made a special point to put out their own flames lest they ignite them, unlike the Cyndaquil and many other fire pokemon in warmer climates.

Perhaps this friendliness is the reason they are no longer seen on Sinnoh's mountains, where they had lived since the dawn of recorded history. Chimchar were often given treats by trainers as thanks for their species warming them at night, and could supplement their diet by scavenging in garbage, which they found easier than hunting wild pokemon. For hunting was a constant balancing act, as the Chimchar must use enough flames to deal significant damage, but not enough to drop their body temparature to dangerously low levels - a risk which plagues any fire pokemon in Sinnoh, wild or domestic, and is the reason most matches in this region are held indoors. Or perhaps Sinnoh's mountains are getting colder as the island and its Torterra host grows, or perhaps human activity, despite strict customs and laws against hurting individual Chimchar, has inadvertantly shrunk their habitat or diminished their food supply. Or perhaps it is all of these reasons, each in part, which has driven the last of the Chimchar from the wilderness.


	391. Monferno

Monferno has often been used by pokemon professors far from Sinnoh as a demonstration of convergent evolution. Although few pokemon are unique in typing or possess even a single unique attack, Monferno in particular even before the scientific era have often been called a chimera designed by Arceus – an Aipom with a Pignite's fists and a Charmander's tail.

A Monferno's tail bears a remarkable resemblance to that of Charmander, and Charmander famously die whenever their tail flame goes out. Many travelers from Kanto have watched in helpless horror as they saw their first Monferno extinguish their own flames, thinking they were witnessing a suicide, then found themselves confused and relieved when the Monferno finished and remained as energetic and alive as ever. Tail flames in both these pokemon are used to warm the air and eliminate excess body heat, but here the similarity ends. Were Monferno ectothermic like the Charmander, they too would die without their flames, but they possess thick, coarse fur and are capable of surviving colder temparatures than any other fire pokemon. As for a Pignite's fists, fists of flame are not unique to Pignite, and the evolutionary benefits of powerful fists in a climate full of ice, rock, and dark pokemon should be obvious. But few pokemon combine fire and fighting attacks so effectively, and both these pokemon's fiery fists burn brighter when they are badly injured, a trait shared by few fighting pokemon. And the Aipom resemblance is not a convergence; they are believed to be Monferno's closest living relative.

Monferno filled a similar ecological niche to the Pignite and Charmander – one which in Kanto, Sinnoh, and Unova alike could not survive the rise of man. When the world changes dramatically, convergent evolution often means simultaneous extinction.


	392. Infernape

Infernape were never a common pokemon and always known better through myth and fiction – where they feature prominently – than through fact. Therefore, it is necessary to set the record straight: Infernape do not possess magic, super-heavy extending staffs, can not ride on clouds, and can not shoot blasts of chi to begin with, let alone enormous ones which engulf whole cities in light. The one about Hideyoshi and the unification of Japan, on the other hand, is absolutely true.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was of peasant birth, and could not obtain the exotic pokemon used by other daimyo; instead, he relied on the Infernape which he had captured as a Chimchar to keep his house warm in the winter and evolved through determined training and countless victories. Hideyoshi patterned his armor and helmet after his Infernape, and the Infernape inspired him and his soldiers at every trying moment in their career. Its spirit was said to burn hotter than the flames with which it dispatched Akechi Mitsuhide and his Articuno; although all Infernape have large head flames, which are said to represent their determination, this particular Infernape's crown was larger than its body when it was about to enter a battle. Hideyoshi's Infernape was renowned as a terror of the battlefield, said to be able to turn large portions of the battlefield into infernos of spinning flames, and his tactics usually relied on using it either to draw opponents into traps or deal the finishing blow.

After Hideyoshi's death, the Infernape fought on the Toyotomi side at Sekigahara, but was defeated by Ieyasu Tokugawa's Aggron – the one pokemon said to have faced down its Fire Spin and lived. Yet that Infernape survived the battle, and its deeds after Hideyoshi's death have also entered the realm of legend.


	393. Piplup

Pride can be a wonderful thing, for it leads people and pokemon alike to believe in themselves and their own abilities, and gives them the confidence to strive for greatness. But as in the case of the Piplup, it can easily be taken to dangerous extremes. Every Piplup fancies itself to be an Empoleon, and their interaction with one another is typified by puffing their chests out and seeing who can do so best, or trying in vain (for they are not yet evolved) to subjugate the pokemon in their claimed territory to save themselves the effort of catching their own fish.

Yet Piplup are also too proud to apologize, to patch things over with their rivals, or to accept aid from their friends who wish to help them. In a young trainer's hands, they easily push themselves to extremes, giving pokemon center nurses all sorts of headaches in the process. In the wild – back when they were wild – they would have lifelong feuds with their neighbors starting from things as simple as a single fish caught in disputed territory, which escalated when neither pokemon was willing to make amends or admit wrongdoing unless their neighbor did likewise. Nor was this competition confined along gender lines; male and female Piplup often were far too proud to let love or the propagation of the species get in the way of their pride.

The mystery of Piplup's extinction in the wild is not that it happened, but why it took them so long, given how few Piplup ever set aside their grudges long enough to lay eggs. Perhaps their ancestors tempered their pride with far more wisdom than the few Piplup still around today.


	394. Prinplup

The two crests on a Prinplup's head bear a certain resemblance to a gaseous planet's rings, and a far more striking one to the pink rings said to surround the legendary Cresselia. Some have likened these rings to a prince's court –as vassals metaphorically orbit around their sovereigns, so do rings orbit the Prinplup. Yet despite their pretensions of royalty, Prinplup can rarely claim an entourage. Like their prior form of Piplup, they are autocrats in the literal sense – rulers of themselves – but can rarely claim any actual subjects.

Although the Prinplup themselves think of them as crowns, in practice the crests on their head more resemble chains, for they restrict their ability to turn their head far more than most similar pokemon. Much has been made of Prinplup's always looking forward as a symbol of avoiding regret, but in reality the Prinplup have little choice in the matter. Despite their enormous pride, it is easy to consider them a degenerate bird, for they lack both the power of flight and the dexterity of their aerial relatives.

Yet while the flightless wings have an obvious purpose, analogous to those of fins or flippers, there is no obvious explanation for the crests on their head. Were they capable of using techniques reliant on the head in battle, the metallic crests would undoubtedly make those attacks more painful, but Prinplup rely instead on their beak, claws, and water attacks to fight. Perhaps they are literal chains like a Granbull's – from heaven, from Cresselia, or from space – and a Prinplup's pretensions of royalty are simply an act of defiance. Or perhaps they are adornments made to represent the fact that every prince is as constrained as his subjects by tradition and by the popular will, lest he be overthrown.


	395. Empoleon

Many looking to explain the royal power that wild Empoleon once exerted over other pokemon – not only the notoriously independent Piplup and Prinplup, but other northern pokemon such as Spheal and Snorunt and anything else in their range – point to its trident crown and regal appearance. More cynical men, however, have long pointed to the fact that Empoleon is covered in a thick suit of armor that lets it win battles against most pokemon with ease.

Empoleon, like nearly all pokemon, have their weaknesses; what makes the Empoleon remarkable is that opponents must exploit said weaknesses to have any hope of victory. These pokemon shrug off the vast majority of attacks, weak or powerful, like a Piplup shrugs off an Ember; a fact which surely both intimidated and awed the pokemon which came to follow their lead. Just as metal and water - from bronze age weapons to knights' shields and cannonballs, from the great hydraulic kingdoms of Mesopotamia and Egypt - has let men subjugate one another, so have these elements allowed Empoleon to reign in the far north.

Among men, it was the pokeball which dethroned monarchies, for what good could armor and gunfire do when any man could summon walking tanks – in Sinnoh, often captured Empoleon themselves, used to acting as kings - into battle? Among pokemon, it was the extinction of the royal line that did monarchy in; when the last wild Empoleon died, no Prinplup had the courage to evolve and make a bid for the throne, and none of the myriad of other pokemon around could even dream of a trident crown. And in both places, anarchy replaced monarchy, and men no longer dream of ruling the world, but of becoming a pokemon master.


	396. Starly

It is said by the people of Sinnoh that when Arceus was making the pokemon, that he colored Starly with the drab gray and white of the winter sky, to remind people that the bitter cold of winter is never far behind. It is also said by a few that Arceus designed it in black and white and forgot to color it in. In truth, Starly are colored like the winter sky to blend in with the winter sky, in order to both hide from hungry ice pokemon and sneak up on bug-type prey, for they lack the stamina to migrate around the world.

Although most birds shirk from stormy weather, Starly are fond of it, for it provides them with virtual invisibility. Their eyes are as sharp as a Fearow's at birth, in order for them to navigate through rain, snow, and hail – sharper than even a Staravia's, for they must rely on these conditions to hunt, while once they evolve they are much tougher and scarier.

In Sinnoh, it is often hard to tell even for humans where snowfall ends and a flock of hungry Starly begins. It is said that when the winter is mild and the Starly lose their chance to feed, they create a storm themselves, flapping their wings furiously to create fierce winds and slowly dropping like snow out of the sky. Some of their prey will take no chances and hide from every storm, but in the fierce winters of Sinnoh this often replaces being eaten with starvation, for blizzards and hailstorms are common there and do not quickly end.


	397. Staravia

It was said in the time of Sinnoh's dictatorship that a Staravia's sharp eyes and ears, loyalty to their flock, and ferocity in battle made them the perfect symbol of the secret police. But those qualities were not merely symbolic; the uniformed men who were claimed to go after dissidents were merely a decoy to absorb rebel attacks. The real secret police were not humans – who after all, no matter how outwardly loyal, always had their own agenda – but the personal Staravia flock of the tyrant who lorded over Sinnoh.

These Staravia, and the regime itself, were marked by the so-called "M" symbol familiar today in art depicting Staravia. It is commonly found both in human cultures and nature – even the name recalls an Unown form it somewhat resembles – and it probably covered most Staravia even before the dictatorship, but the dictator was noted for rearranging his Staravia's feathers to conform them to that pattern. Many descendants of those the dictator tyrannized still recoil at its sight and go so far as to shape their own Staravia's feathers to blot out that symbol of evil which many wild Staravia still carry.

The flock of secret police Staravia dispersed into the wild when their master was overthrown, and even the oldest have probably not survived to this day. But humans and powerful pokemon alike still often recoil in fear from a Staravia's glare in a distant memory of that time. For back then, whenever a Staravia came it came to take entire families who had one member suspected of dissent into Sinnoh's dark and secret prisons, from which there was no hope of escape. And for years after the revolution, scattered reports still told of Staravia carrying people away in the middle of the night.


	398. Staraptor

The bravery of a Staraptor in combat is said to be able to shatter walls of Shuckle shell. Their attacks, developed over millions of years to defend their chicks from ice-type predators, possess all the power of a Garchomp or a Salamence, and is said to match even those of Victini or Arceus. They prevented the development of a mechanical air force in Sinnoh's skies, for no matter how thick the hull or how quickly it moved, a diving Staraptor could still knock any airplane out of the sky. Today, they are frequently seen in the Sinnoh League and other top competitions, leaving opponents to search in vain for a pokemon which can absorb their attacks without fainting.

But the way that Staraptor battle is on the fine line between courage and a death wish. Pokemon center nurses frequently complain about the many repeated traumatic injuries which Staraptor suffer after every match, which lead many to an early retirement. No Staraptor is actually known to have survived the collisions with plane engines in wartime – they were simply effective because training a Staraptor was still far cheaper and easier than building an airplane - and few survived battles even in the age of swords. Even when defending their nests from predators such as Weavile, more often than not Staraptor go down fighting, as they always have, but in the process they let their children escape. Staraptor do not enter battle seeking glory, but martyrdom, and this reckless disregard for their own health and lives has frustrated many of their trainers.

But trainers must be cautious when trying to instill a Staraptor with a sense of self-preservation, for on those rare occasions their efforts succeed, they will only produce a pokemon as shy and powerless as a Hoothoot.


	399. Bidoof

Bidoof have long been renowned in Unova as the great builders of the pokemon world, for they are a pokemon who work tirelessly and with surprising efficiency. Yet Unova's finest fur trappers were nonetheless puzzled by the request from Sinnoh for dozens of live Bidoof to aid with construction; they accepted, for the money was too good to pass up. But they were right to be puzzled, for the engineers and builders of Sinnoh soon found (like the people of Unova had long ago) that, while Bidoof were capable of providing some aid, their construction methods were simply not designed to human specifications.

Bidoof use their front teeth to carve and at times carry stones, and the conspicious indentations they left behind did not appeal aesthetically to Sinnoh's people, who mistook them for cracks born of weakness. The stones themselves were designed for humans, who are of course far larger than Bidoof, and the stonemasons soon found that it took longer to construct buildings while training them than it would with only human help.

The Bidoof were released into the wilderness, where today they poses an apocalyptic threat to Sinnoh's ecosystem. Bidoof not only have chaotically diverted the flow of Sinnoh's streams and rivers, they have dramatically multiplied in number, and today they are as endemic as the Starly, yet still growing more numerous by the day. Many have been taken from the wild as pets and battle pokemon alike, and the Bidoof have become quite popular in both roles, but this has proven insufficient to keep their population in the wild down. Dramatic action may be needed to protect Sinnoh's other pokemon from the menace of Bidoof expansion, lest this island become the home of no more than Men, Starly, and Bidoof.


	400. Bibarel

Man is often said to be distinguished by his adaptability, for he can both survive in and shape all sorts of terrain to his needs, but at this he is arguably outclassed by the Bibarel. These pokemon cut through thick brush or climb up tall mountains to gather twigs and boulders, which they use to dam rivers and build large, elaborate nests. They are as versatile in the water as on land, and can not only swim with ease, but also dive deep beneath the sea and navigate waterfalls with ease.

Much of the cultivation of Unova was done with the aid of the Bibarel, who are today still valued around the world by all travelers, whether or not they are pokemon trainers; even many pokemon trainers who carry them do not use their Bibarel to battle. At times, Bibarel face harsh working conditions, and are forced to spend long hours navigating and clearing the way while other pokemon may rest in their pokeballs. Yet most Bibarel are beloved companions, not slaves, for if they are treated too harshly they will run away and leave their abusers stranded in the wilderness.

As human civilization has marched further and further into the wilderness, many pokemon have struggled to adapt. The Bibarel, however, have if anything grown with the human population, and not only among those setting out onto dangerous and poorly maintained roads; they help to build hydroelectric dams and wooden houses, and even feral and wild Bibarel are nearly as common as Pidove in cities. The adaptability which has allowed the Bibarel to thrive in so many natural environments has also let them fare remarkably well in our own.


	401. Kricketot

The antennae of the Kricketot do not just produce that beloved chirp so characteristic of Sinnoh autumn nights; they also produced the first works of instrumental music composed by man. At first, noting their musical properties in live Kricketot, aspiring musicians sought to harvest antennae from the dead. Yet while today these antennae are prized in string instruments and xylophones alike, in that era, without the precise tools of modern harvesting, the antennae were inevitably damaged beyond repair in the process.

Instead, people used live Kricketot to perform their music, training them from birth to play with their antennae not their own songs, but songs created by humans, typically the musical backing for epic tales which have come down to our era only as poems. Although the songs themselves are in virtually all instances lost, descriptions of how they were performed have made it into the historical record. They bore a superficial resemblance to modern orchestras, but a far greater one to Kricketot swarms; the instructor himself would be dressed as a giant Kricketot and conduct with his own antennae, which he controlled through pulleys from his arm, and the Kricketot would follow along, each instructed to perform slightly different songs to the same motions to create the much louder composite whole.

Today, only a few historical and theatrical enthusiasts still use the Kricketot orchestra, yet although these pokemon are now trained only for evolution, their musical legacy remains with us. The modern notation for music, so bizarre to our modern understanding, were developed for the ease of teaching Kricketot; they had become too culturally ingrained to abandon when instruments built for humans became more popular and effective. Even the outfits and motions of orchestral conductors are based on those once used by Kricketot trainers!


	402. Kricketune

It is said that the Kricketune are better sword users than even Scyther, for Kricketune have four blades to Scyther's two. The logic behind this is faulty, for power and skill also matter; as a man with a sword and a shield can often defeat one with two swords, so can larger pokemon (Scyther among them) without their multiplicity of blades defeat Kricketune in combat. That said, there is always something to be admired and feared about any pokemon capable of wielding as swords their arms and antennae alike.

Kricketune antennae are thought to have developed their edge as a way to either repel avian predators or hunt small birds, for these pokemon are far more at ease using them against aerial enemies than using them to strike downwards. Yet they are level with the head of similarly sized foes, and many a Kricketune have learned to use their other two swords to absorb parries and their antennae to strike the finishing blow. Their arm-swords are more like thin sabers, far more brittle than a Scyther's blades and capable of being sundered by a well-timed swing (luckily, they grow back). But these swords are no less sharp than a Scyther's and may be ignored only at an opposing pokemon's peril.

The small size of most Kricketune prevents them from being lauded as the terrors of the pokemon world, relegating them, despite their natural weapons and skill, to being a mere hazard for beginning trainers. Yet a few Kricketune, whether from strange genes or extreme age or some other still mysterious mechanism, can grow as large as Heracross or Scizor; when these Kricketune are sent into battle, they prove to be even more terrifying.


	403. Shinx

The title "king of beasts" is often used in Sinnoh to describe the Luxray, yet there is reason to describe the Shinx this way as well. Shinx are small, but command a certain presence about them, and their stare and roar often scares away much larger pokemon. It was once thought that the Shinx were better described as "princes of beasts" and what pokemon feared was not the Shinx themselves, but the Luxray who follow to protect their cubs; today it is known that Luxray rarely fight for their cubs and that even orphaned Shinx strike a surprising fear into the hearts of enemy pokemon.

Shinx are small in stature, and their electric shock is not the most powerful; they must grow into Luxray to have any hope of actually toppling an Indian elephant or other large prey. And although Luxray can carry around a pride with them, there are few pokemon willing to follow a mere Shinx into combat. Most Shinx soon develop a wholly outsized courage and ferocity in battle to compensate, the sort which makes leaders of men, and of pokemon as well. These Shinx are beloved by friends and feared even by enemies as large and destructive as Tyranitar. A few are not blessed with such heroic hearts, and instead grow quarrelsome with their neighbors. They prepare less for the glory of kings than for the power politics which makes every monarch watch their back. These Shinx can only usurp thrones, not build them, and find it far easier to seize power than to hold onto it.

Every time a Shinx triumphs in battle or scares off a foe, the black fur on their collar grows a tiny bit. Only when it becomes large enough to surround its face may a Shinx evolve into a Luxio.


	404. Luxio

Electricity has long been known to man, for the multitudes of electric pokemon have coexisted with its ancestors throughout the history of evolution. Yet before the development of modern electric currents, the supply these pokemon produced was too intermittent to have a use outside of battle and lighting. The great exception to this is Luxio, whose electric-charged claws have enlivened Sinnoh's festivals for centuries.

Most electric pokemon produce a bright yellow electricity, which can grow painful to the eyes over extended periods, and produce it through cheeks, tails, or other body parts where they lack precise control, but Luxio produce a blue lightning, more pleasing to the eyes. This electricity gives Luxio fur its light blue color, although an old belief persists that the black portions of their fur are the result of burns from their internal electric current, and that blue is its natural color. This lightning is most commonly used to light up the eyes or fists of large statues in a blue glow, and to bring them to life, opening doors and smashing rocks as their body sparks with Luxio energy.

In Egypt, this was the origin of the great Sphinx, a statue half-Luxio, half-man, no longer operational and covered in desert sand. In Sinnoh, the statues themselves are mostly lost, but this sight is amply recorded in its histories, and the art developed with Luxio animation is believed to be either the direct predecessor of or the inspiration for the great golems of Mount Coronet.

Soon after man learned to control electricity, they were inspired by the Luxio to bring not statues, but drawings to life. Many early works of animation, such as the shiny title character of Jungle Emperor Xio, paid tribute to these mighty pokemon.


	405. Luxray

Luxray seek battle with their enemies as ferociously as Zangoose and Seviper, but because both pokemon involved are nocturnal, stealthy, and black in color, their battle has elicited far less attention, and the legends surrounding their rivalry from times of old risk being forgotten. And this is a shame, for the fury with which Luxray's ancestors hunted Mightyena for generations has given these pokemon both remarkable eyesight and a reputation as kings of the jungle.

Man, despite his stories of royal usurpation and eternal pokemon wars, is a latecomer to this rivalry. Its origins lie in an age-old struggle between packs of these two pokemon to dominate the food chain; a struggle which appears to have started nearly as early as their ancestors diverged into separate lines of pokemon. Mightyena aid hunters because they feared the Luxray and wanted an ally. Luxray choose to spare a select few Buneary and Bidoof in return for their aid in tracking passing Mightyena. Even Luxray's Noctowl-like eyesight, which allows them to spot nearly any nearby pokemon at rest, is believed to have developed first to target Mightyena, and only later their actual prey. Luxray walk so silently that they are usually only exposed to their foes (and in recent times, human hunters) when they attack with their terrifying roar or deadly blasts of lightning.

Today, even wild Luxray can be tamed in pokeballs, and the position of men in the Mightyena-Luxray rivalry has shifted to support of whichever one that particular person trains. Yet both of these species are pack pokemon with fairly similar behavior, and when separated from their own alpha pokemon and forced to call a human their leader, their rivalry can swiftly dissipate. Today, the Luxray no longer resist, and man is the unchallenged king of the jungle.


	406. Budew

Unlike their evolved forms of Roselia and Roserade, Budew do not spread their venom in battle, so they are often mistaken for harmless. Yet although they are less deadly than most poisonous pokemon, many have learned only after weeks of coughing and sneezing to exercise caution around Budew. Budew venom is not more potent than that of their evolutions, but they are far less able to control it; rather than unleashing it at chosen times or in response to damage, they do so together with their pollen in an invisible cloud of illness.

Budew are usually too weak to use in battle, but there have always been trainers who tried, either from a sick desire to torment crowds at low-level tournaments (which often lack the expensive audience protections of gyms and league stadiums) and opposing trainers alike, or a determination to win at any cost by using a pokemon which few are prepared to face. They are legal today only if the trainer personally supplies the masks necessary to protect the crowd and opposing trainer alike from Budew venom; as this expense is greater than the prize money for tournaments which a baby pokemon can win, they have all but disappeared from organized battle.

Yet wild Budew are much more common in Sinnoh than their evolutions, so would-be Roserade trainers still search for a way to train their youngest form. They travel the roads by day, distinguished by the mask they wear and the second one they offer to their opponents, yet close contact and constant travel with their Budew means many are sick as often as they are healthy. At times, they have been reviled as disease-bringers, for pollen can escape the battlefield, but today they are viewed primarily as deeply devoted to training their pokemon.


	407. Roserade

Roserade are natural dancers, with elegant capes, agile legs, and six thorny, dangerous vines – three from the holes in each rose - with which to take many partners' hands. Even when dancing with fellow poison pokemon, these dances lead to numerous stab wounds; when paired with a human partner, it is one of the most elegant and beautiful ways to risk one's life.

A few Roserade trainers seek to bond with their pokemon in this manner, but they always do so with a spotter on hand within minutes of a hospital, if not a doctor themselves. Most often, the Roserade dance is a barbaric game of blood with an audience, where desperate men and women – in older times slaves, sometimes indebted, sometimes greedy for large sums of prize money – risk their lives to be the last of the six dancers standing. The Roserade attack the dancers freely from a distance while holding them with their vines, and if a trainer loses their grip, they must admit defeat; others hold on until they fall unconscious from Roserade venom. Those knocked out by the dance are typically taken to hospitals, but depending on how cruel-minded the person running the event can be, treatment is not guaranteed even today. And victory is no antidote; many who have thought winning the tournament would spare them, or whose doctors were not fast enough, soon succumbed to Roserade venom.

Interestingly, while Roserade are powerful in pokemon battles, it is extraordinarily rare for them to cause an accidental fatality. It appears that Roserade venom is most toxic to humans; a fact which many have held to reveal a disturbing truth about their trainers through the ages, yet which could alternatively be explained by self-defense from the old custom of hunting Roserade for their roses.


	408. Cranidos

The tall treetops of Sinnoh, with their deep roots that attach them to the back of the Torterra that forms the land itself, have typically served as nests and refuges for eons of flying and tree-climbing pokemon. But with the rise of the Cranidos, destructive headbutts shook the trees and sent their inhabitants plummeting to the ground, in a technique similar to that used today to obtain certain pokemon in Johto.

Tragically, one Cranidos' headbutt (Many had thought it a Rampardos, but the imprint has recently been discovered and it was surely a Cranidos skull) shook a tree too hard – not hard enough to topple the tree, but hard enough to bury much of Sinnoh, for the branches shook and an enormous wave of dirt, twigs, and leaves washed over the land, burying countless pokemon alive. Thus was Sinnoh's underground formed, and it should not be surprising that Cranidos are among the most common fossils to be found buried there, along with the short, slow-moving Shieldon, who are probably overrepresented in the fossil record.

Unlike fossils elsewhere, Cranidos are often found buried with vast caches of rare treasures, a fact which has sent treasure hunters digging and scientists speculating. The following can be surmised: Because Sinnoh's trees show no evidence of these items, they must have been placed intentionally beside the pokemon whose fossils are now so numerous in the underground. Cranidos themselves are by far the most likely candidate, for Shieldon do not have hands. Most likely, they collected these just as Meowth collect coins and Dragonite treasure. Yet Crandios' vast brain size and the value of many of these items for pokemon trainers today suggests another explanation: that pokemon training did not begin with Man's evolution, but is far older than he could possibly have imagined.


	409. Rampardos

Rampardos are often considered to have possessed the most brute force of any pokemon to have ever walked the earth. This should not be taken to imply that they were every opponent's equal in battle, even in their own time. Their thick hide has been made tougher by fossilization, but Rampardos today still show little ability to withstand attackers, nor are they fast enough to win a battle before their opponent can strike. Although once renowned as the mightiest of their time – the Charizard or Salamence of the late Cretaceous – it has become clear from these revived specimens that Rampardos did not use their heavy and powerful heads to dominate other species of pokemon.

Instead, Rampardos used their heads to battle enemies that could not fight back, but which stymied every competitor of their era: boulders. The fighting type was probably not known in this era, although classifying pokemon types from the fossil record is extraordinarily difficult. It was the Rampardos that filled the niche large fighting pokemon such as Machamp do today, smashing large stones and feeding on the minerals (and quite possibly, rock pokemon remains) contained within.

The supply of Rampardos are tightly controlled today, for they will instinctually smash through buildings and attempt to eat the inhabitants, and require a good deal of retraining to differentiate between manmade structures and natural ones. The rampage of what was almost certainly a feral Rampardos in Saffron City, and the myriad of panicked, inconsistent reports describing this hitherto unknown giant pokemon, captured countless imaginations in its era. Among these were the screenwriters for Pokestar Studios' first hit, the original Big Monster series, and the other progenitors of the kaiju genre.


	410. Shieldon

The large shields which cover the heads of Shieldon have been used all around the world by humans and pokemon alike as a way to defend themselves in battle. This custom is as old as recorded history and predates our modern understanding of fossils by millennia, and in parts of southern Africa where gunpowder was slow to penetrate it continued well into the 19th century. That fossilization took so long to discover should not be a surprise, for Shieldon heads are preserved perfectly and are remarkably common anywhere they once lived, but their bodies are subject to the same fossilization processes as other pokemon and rarely leave DNA behind.

The fact that Shieldon were not naturally occurring minerals had long been suspected, but most people over the years had attributed their creation to the remains of past warriors or long-lost civilizations: none had imagined them to be the remains of pokemon from the middle cretaceous! It was only when archaeologists, looking to find the age of a lost city, ran molecular tests on their shields that they discovered that the shields themselves were 100 million years old and contained recoverable DNA.

Word of the find reached Oreburgh, whose gym leader at the time, Byron, decided to resolve endless debates about the newly discovered fossil's characteristics by reviving one himself. The shield he used was a centuries old family heirloom, and he had personally expected it to be either the arm of a colossal beast or the shell of an ancient turtle. It was the metallic head of a yellow and remarkably sturdy dinosaur, which still bore the marks of rust and battle and the elaborate decorations of warriors from ages past. Only when they began breeding did humanity learn that Shieldon heads were gray.


	411. Bastiodon

There are a great many pokemon who have gone extinct over the years, and a wide variety of causes for these extinctions are known to science. Some are quite common: a food source going extinct causing a chain reaction, being out-competed by new predators, or perishing in a global catastrophe. And then there are the Bastiodon, the only pokemon known to science to have been literally wiped out by an earthquake.

Powerful earthquakes have been known to kill individual electric and fire types, and occasionally do likewise to rock or steel pokemon, although their tough defenses usually allow them to survive a single quake. Yet one megathrust earthquake and its intense aftershocks, in strata now found in ancient Sinnoh but believed to have been picked up by that vast Torterra island after the age of the Bastiodon had passed, has shown itself not only in damages to rocks. It has also appeared in the numerous toppled steel plates, many with large tusks sticking out of them, which had once been standing and live Bastiodon. Like large structures built by Man, Bastiodon were often toppled by earthquakes, for evolution had given them their strong defenses at the expense of their ability to resist natural disasters.

Tragically, the principles found in Bastiodon's iron bodies, and the difficulty in destroying or moving their corpses before explosions, led the people of ancient Sinnoh to conclude it an ideal shape for defense. Although Sinnoh is relatively free of earthquakes, not being on a tectonic plate, the Torterra itself can be shaken by the large calamities of the north pacific. And when that happened, the destruction was total; Sinnoh's first fortress civilization perished overnight.


	412. Burmy

Burmy were once thought to be a pokemon which could not survive winter unless they first evolved, and instead would lay their eggs and wait for a new generation to hatch in the spring. This was not because of cold temperatures, but because wild Burmy make their cloaks from the leaves of deciduous trees, for the needlelike leaves of evergreens make for poor cloak material. Because their cloaks are usually destroyed after a single battle, the second attempt to attack these pokemon would leave them helpless against predators.

Yet Burmy are a remarkably adaptable species, and in the company of trainers, far from their forest homes, they have been observed making cloaks out of sand or even garbage. With the advent of the snowplow, many drivers reported witnessing live Burmy in the vast piles of snow they cleared from Sinnoh's roads, and further investigation revealed that these pokemon were real and survived this season by making cloaks out of snow. However, their snow is packed too tightly to allow easy movement, so Burmy typically hibernate during the winter; if they are forced to move, their cloak will disintegrate without even needing to be scratched.

There are no recorded instances of snow-cloaked Burmy evolving into Wormadam, although this hypothesized snow forme has captured the imagination of artists and scientists alike. They can not become stronger through battle in these cloaks, and feeding them rare candies is impossible, for Burmy refuse to don their cloaks of snow when they have a pokeball to call home.


	413. Wormadam

It is said that the quadrupedal heroes of Unova - Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion - each carried their own Wormadam in their fur. These Wormadam existed in a symbiotic relationship with their divine protectors; they fed off parasites and served as a secret weapon in battle. Yet when these heroes traveled to the Hall of Origin to petition Arceus to be made full gods, they tripped over the branches and roots of an enormous tree. Although the demigods got up quickly, all three Wormadam were knocked loose into the forest, unnoticed by the pokemon who carried them.

Their petition was denied. Some claim it was because the heroes were not strong enough, but others say Arceus' true reason was that the Wormadam had fallen from them. The three returned despondently to Unova, too disappointed to notice the loss of the smaller pokemon on their backs. These Wormadam established a colony in Sinnoh's trees. They had many children, but they had lost their immortality when they fell, and in time they too passed away. Yet their descendants did not forget their heroes; the three formes they are seen in today reflect the three pokemon who carried them to this land.

The Wormadam today live their lives in honey trees, for honey is made from Combee nectar, which is beloved not only by the gods themselves but by all who aspire to divinity, from the three heroes to the Wormadam themselves. And these pokemon watch the sky constantly, not only for their many flying-type predators, but for the hope that the great heroes of Unova will someday notice what went missing, and come back to claim their riders of old.


	414. Mothim

Burmy typically spend their youth in honey trees, as much because of the ease of life they provide to young pokemon as for the religious significance of Combee nectar. And from birth, they are reminded of its significance to Arceus and the great quadrupedal heroes of Unova, from whose parasites their ancestors descend. But although female Burmy remain devoted to their heroic task once they become Wormadam, honey and evolution drive the male of the species, the Mothim, to stray from their destined path.

Mothim have wings, while Wormadam can only watch the sky, and this dichotomy encourages arrogance among the Mothim. They honor only the legendary birds, reasoning that a pokemon which can not even fly through the air can not possibly be a hero or a god. Mothim do, however, match the pokemon who brought their progenitors to Sinnoh in ambition, raiding Combee hives not for honey, but for the raw nectar of legends themselves, and frequently bugging Arceus to grant them divinity – a petition always answered with the statement that Sinnoh has enough gods already.

Many go so far as to ignore the Wormadam entirely, considering them unworthy matches, and travel long distances to find a lover more similar in form, such as a Butterfree or Volcarona. A few will settle in these far-flung lands, contributing hybrid vigor to colonies of other Lepidopteran pokemon. But for most, their knowledge of the world makes the Mothim all the more aware of their weakness and duties alike. To ensure that Sinnoh have a population of Wormadam forevermore, they will fly home and adorn themselves with sticks or stones or fake horns to resemble one of the three legends in order to draw Wormadam out, for this is the only way that Wormadam are willing to mate.


	415. Combee

Combee begin their lives as separate creatures in a vast beehive, where they remain until they reach maturity. When they are judged to be old enough to gather honey, they are placed in a honeycomb which is as much prison as tool, and shackled to two of their neighbors into a bizarre, triangular pokemon. The three heads of each Combee are as much spies as teammates, and each must report any grumblings or disobedience to the hive. Unlike the heads of other multi-brained pokemon, such as the Dugtrio, Combee rarely form strong bonds with one another; it is fear which keeps them in line.

Most male Combee live their whole lives in this despair. It is only the females, who wage constant civil wars for the Vespiquen's throne, who have any hope of winning freedom. Even if captured by a trainer, male Combee do not truly find a new master, but continue to report to their hives. It is through human-trained Combee that Vespiquen are able to map the surrounding areas, and if it offers more honey, to swarm to a new one. But although trained Combee will obey a new set of human commands, should the two ever contradict, they will serve their Vespiquen.

There are many pokemon with some form of hierarchical structure, and even humans have often melded civilization with tyranny. But none compare in cruelty to the lot in life of the male Combee, forbidden even to evolve. Yet this prohibition, enforced through slavery and totalitarianism, is one all Vespiquen consider a dire necessity. For it is said that if a male Combee does evolve, it will become not a male Vespiquen, but something akin to a Beedrill, and lead the Combee to break their honeycomb chains and overthrow the monarchy in a brutal insect revolution.


	416. Vespiquen

Although they have never been a truly dominant pokemon, respectable at best in league competition, trainers defeated by the Vespiquen have often appealed to league authorities to invalidate the match, on the grounds that the opponent used multiple pokemon. For although there are many combination pokemon, they can claim at least to share a body, something which can not be said of the bees who do most of Vespiquen's fighting, and are united only when kept inside its honeycomb.

The appeals are invariably denied, and the rationale cited today is that Vespiquen can fit in a single pokeball, but even before modern pokeballs the argument fell on deaf ears. It is the height of absurdity to consider the six Combee larva which fight its battles to be individual pokemon – they make Kangaskhan joeys look like brave and independent warriors - and therefore to consider Vespiquen trainers of being guilty of using seven pokemon at once.

Yet the very fact of these appeals speaks to the unavoidable fact that Vespiquen in battle bear more resemblance to Ransei warlords than to most pokemon, for they command their armies of six to attack, defend, and heal, while staying on the sidelines. Some have attributed this to arrogance and others to weakness, but only a few of Vespiquen's own trainers have realized it is strategy. Yet it is one of the oldest of stratagems, and given Vespiquen's reputation, also one of the most successful.

For when opponents watch Vespiquen's bees and its honeycomb, they soon forget to pay attention to the Vespiquen itself. And this is often said opponents' undoing, for although Vespiquen make their bees do much of the work for them, they are capable pokemon in their own right and have not forgotten how to battle.


	417. Pachirisu

In most of the world, above-ground power lines are used as the means of delivering electricity to the vast majority of homes. This was also attempted in Sinnoh, but the project was soon abandoned at great expense, because Pachirisu would run along the lines as though they were tree branches. Their electricity would meld with that already in the power lines, often causing surges and frying equipment; at times the overload would create explosions which snapped the lines outright. The engineers of this electrification project had come from Kanto, and their security measures had been designed to prevent Pikachu from gnawing through the lines; against an arboreal pokemon like Pachirisu, it was useless.

So Sinnoh decided to bury its power lines. Ground pokemon are immune to electricity, and the lines are sturdy enough to resist their daily activities and even most earthquakes, so again theur greatest danger has been the Pachirisu. For Pachirisu are also known to dig deep into the ground in order to bury apricorns and berries for the winter, and it remains quite difficult for even modern power lines to handle direct contact with these electric pokemon.

Before widespread electrification, Pachirisu were seen as just another common pokemon. Today, Pachirisu are one of Sinnoh's most despised pests, and are still probably responsible for the majority of the region's power outages. They were hunted to rarity, but not to extinction, and their survival in the wild owes much credit to the efforts of the Sunyshore Gym. Volkner and his predecessors are unwilling to allow one of Sinnoh's electric pokemon to be driven to extinction, and they have used their leverage with the power company, Sunyshore being the biggest consumer of electricity in all Sinnoh, to force them to stop killing Pachirisu.


	418. Buizel

Buizel's twin tails do not only allow these pokemon to propel themselves through the water as surely as the fins of most water pokemon; they also allow them to fly short distances through the air. In the wild, this enables the Buizel to catch and eat Mantyke, whose wings can not yet carry them far above the water, but humans have put these pokemon to a far more industrious use.

There are many pokemon which can carry or pull riders and cargo across or above water, and a few, such as Pelipper, who can do both. But most of Sinnoh's birds are too fierce to easily tame or too small to comfortably carry a rider, and most of Sinnoh's water pokemon are only at home in sea water or on riverbeds. Thankfully, Buizel's maneuverability, speed, small size and deceptive strength make them uniquely adapted for transportation around the rocks and rapids of Sinnoh's rivers.

The earliest riverboats in Sinnoh were small wooden platforms pulled by Buizel, and even with modern technology, Sinnoh's lakes and rivers are still predominately navigated by Buizel raft. Technology has dramatically improved the raft's design. Humans and cargo alike are much less likely to fall than their ancient counterparts, who were often forced to abandon their goods, grab their Buizel by their life preserver necks, and desperately to swim to shore. Tourists have joined travelers in this era, for there are few traditions in Sinnoh quite like being carried in a fast-moving Buizel raft, the wind from their propellers whipping past the rider as they navigate through land, sea, and air – often all three in the same ride. To add to the excitement, trainers began racing Buizel rafts; and what began as dangerous travel for merchants is today one of Sinnoh's most popular sports.


	419. Floatzel

Humans have often studied the Floatzel in order to understand what propels them, for their limbs are legs, not fins, yet they are as quick in water as any other pokemon. Although their speed makes hunting them extraordinarily difficult, many domestic Floatzel have been given to research laboratories after death, for they are a popular pokemon which inspire curiosity and have long been used as lifeguards. Yet it was not until Floatzel began to be used in undersea exploration (for their sac can deflate, letting them sink, and reinflate to surface and rescue the drowning) that science began to understand their speed.

It was noticed that Floatzel moved much slower beneath the sea than they did on its surface, slower than the water pressure alone would account for, and therefore that their flotation sac was more than a simple device to allow these pokemon to float. In truth, the mysterious, large scarf-like sac wrapped around the back of every Floatzel not only gives these pokemon buoyancy, but also provides them with a fuel that propels them through the water with breakneck speed.

The discovery of Floatzel fuel inspired the development of rocketry, although synthesizing it from natural elements proved far more difficult than doing so with wild Floatzel, and the composition had to be tweaked to move rockets through air instead of water. Yet the principles are more or less the same, and one can find a remarkable resemblance in body shape between the Floatzel who speed through the water and the rockets which send humans and pokemon into space. Pokemon trainers have also experimented with using this fuel to speed up other pokemon. They have thus far succeeded only at a heavy price, for the pokemon who carry these fuel scarves find themselves unable to switch between techniques.


	420. Cherubi

Although the Tropius can grow from fruit seeds, Cherubi are the only fruits which have gained the intelligence needed to be considered a pokemon, a fact which unfortunately has made them no less delicious or nutritious. Their parents, the Cherrim, must rely on other pokemon to carry their seeds away from their groves in their digestive system to avoid overpopulation, and those seeds are contained in their Cherubi children. But once the seeds sprout into new Cherubi, they must survive long enough away from their parent to evolve, and it is this paradox which has driven the evolution of Cherubi's second head.

The larger of Cherubi's heads is properly speaking the main pokemon. The second head is a bud, not a full-fledged partner akin to a Doduo's; its purpose, so far as the main head is concerned, is to provide bait and dissuade predators from eating the main head, for it is stuffed with valuable nutrients which bring pokemon closer to evolution. Once the head is eaten, within a week a new second head will begin to grow.

If the second head goes too long without being eaten, it will grow larger and larger, and threaten to challenge the main head for dominance. When it grows large enough to become threatened, the elder attempts to eat the younger and win the nutrients of evolution for themselves, and the younger strives to steal their connecting vine. If successful, it will become the new Cherubi and sprout second heads of its own; its brother, shorn of everything but its center, becomes helpless prey for wild pokemon. These struggles can continue for many generations until a great or lucky Cherubi devours enough of its heads to evolve into Cherrim.


	421. Cherrim

Most of the time, Cherrim have a hideous appearance. their frowning faces hidden perpetually from view beneath a cocoon of purple petals. Yet when the sun is bright, the petals turn pink and blossom, and they rival Blissey in happiness.

One can find a simple explanation for this fact in most species, for sunlight provides essential nutrients even in humans, and far more in plants. And Cherrim, pink in color, are less adept at photosynthesis than other grass pokemon. But this theory could only explain Cherrim's transformation in terms of hibernation, it does not explain the dramatic shifts in mood. And Cherrim with their petals draped over them are very much awake, as many a trainer can attest, but they are as gloomy and despondent as Yamask.

This nutrient-based explanation was the source of decades of fruitless research, but it is a red herring. Sunlight does not only provide nourishment, but also light, and long, dark nights are seldom appreciated in creatures which rely on sight. Cherrim's eyes in particular are quite tiny, and they do not respond much to artificial lighting designed for humans. They can claim no nose, let alone the sharp sense of smell that guides most cave-dwelling and nocturnal pokemon, and although they can understand trainers' commands, science has not yet located their ears. Their limbs are too short for touch, and although it is more developed in Cherrim than in most plants, taste is an awful way to navigate. The Cherrim are happy in bright sunlight for it is the only time they can experience the world around them; their despondence stems not from despair, but from sensory deprivation.


	422. Shellos

Pokemon often differ slightly in color in response to climate – the Orange Archipelago in particular is known for the vibrant colors of its tropically adapted wildlife - and one in thousands in any climate will be born with a strange and shining color scheme. Shellos in most climates show a variation of color over a surprisingly small region; for instance, Sinnoh's seas are divided between pink and blue Shellos, while Hoenn's were primarily purple before extinction, although some bays had pink Shellos with yellow-green fins. This alone is a smaller number of shades than a single Kecleon or Deerling, both of which will change color over their lifetimes, but Shellos once had a much wider range than Sinnoh.

In Kanto and Johto in particular, the lakes and rivers around every town had a unique color of Shellos, and new towns were typically named by the color of Shellos in the area. These colors became points of pride, and building roofs were often painted in colors approximating those of their town pokemon. The waters south of Pallet Town had Shellos of every color, and kept this distinction over generations. This is because Pallet Town never had a native Shellos population, only a large variety of Shellos from around the region born at the town's large pokemon research lab and released into the wild, so the diversity of shades has maintained itself instead of blending into a new, mixed color.

Today, only Pallet Town maintains a population of Shellos, for its environment alone has remained free from the chemical pollution which has wiped out their counterparts. Trainers today trade for pokemon from far and wide, but still leave their pokemon with the local pokemon professor, and their descendants there join a population which has replenished itself this way for generations.


	423. Gastrodon

The sounds which Gastrodon make have given rise to the terms for stomach and tooth in many European languages. This is because they possess the ability to swallow even large prey whole, but do not have any corrosive venom such as Arbok or Swalot, so they were thought to possess teeth in their stomach. Legends were told of Gastrodon growing to enormous sizes and swallowing men who escaped through their necks before they were pulled, slowly but surely, to the terrifying, enormous teeth in these pokemon's stomachs.

Because of this tale, warriors often wore helmets into battle patterned after a Gastrodon's horns and fake eyes on their foreheads to terrify their enemies. At times the helmets worked as intended, causing armies to break and flee in fear. At others it worked too well; resisting armies would fight to the death for fear of being eaten, for they were convinced the helmets marked the Gastrodon units as cannibals!

In reality, even the European Gastrodon can not grow large enough to eat human children, let alone full-grown men, and they feed on much smaller tidal pokemon, such as Froakie. But legends can grip the imaginations and terrors of men, and a story told a thousand times can make the most gentle of pokemon terrifying. It is true that Gastrodon possessed large, spiked shells in antiquity, but the spikes were to ward off predators; there is no archaeological or behavioral evidence that they were ever a weapon.

As a further testament to the power of legend to shape perceptions of a pokemon, Gastrodon are far from feared in other parts of the world. Indeed, in Sinnoh and other locations in Asia, their third eye marks them as a uniquely enlightened pokemon and they give their name to a god of the sea!


	424. Ambipom

In the wild, Ambipom are a pokemon which rely frequently on deception. For instance, they will clasp together their tails and arrange their tail-fingers in such a way that from a distance, it looks like there are two Ambipom. If this deception is exposed, they will menace their opponents with said enormous tails by making fists and swinging them wildly, diverting their foe's attention for the real attack from their arms. Wild Ambipom do not flee from stronger foes like Abra; once the advantage of surprise is lost and the damage done, they continue to do battle. They are fiercely territorial and will battle one another from between the tallest trees in the tropics, confident that their tails will protect them from a deadly plunge even if they are defeated.

And yet Ambipom are often reviled as the cowards of the pokemon world. This is because their attacks rely tremendously on the element of surprise, and because one man's cowardice is another's tactical acumen. It is humans who must teach Ambipom the techniques which make cowardice a viable battle strategy; trained Ambipom, not their wild counterparts, are the ones who hassle pokemon by launching surprise attacks and then making a u-turn back into their pokeball. Many trainers revile battling trained Ambipom because of their frequent retreats, and it is these trainers who have branded the species with the label of cowardice.

The saying "live to fight another day" was once said to be wisdom translated from the mouth of an Ambipom by a wise man who could talk to pokemon. In reality it was a complete fabrication. The phrase is composed of human words, for a human attitude which was taught to domestic Ambipom in the hopes of bringing their trainers victory.


	425. Drifloon

Drifloon are feared by parents, for they are known for abducting curious children and taking them away into the sky, never to return. Yet they are as mysterious as they are terrifying, for the children are never seen again; no bodies, living or dead, are ever found. And although modern technology has reduced the number of abductions, it has not solved their mystery, for whenever Drifloon are followed by cameras or tracked by helicopters, they will not take children to their usual hangouts, but return them back home to their parents.

The reason Drifloon can not be found is because they take children to a world where grown men and women from this world have never ventured: a world of distorted dimensions and bizarre architecture where the banished Giratina reigns as king. Connected to our own through an oft-vanishing portal in some uncharted portion of the sky, a society has formed in this reverse world from Drifloon abductees. Because ghosts are as common there as normal pokemon are here, and Drifloon as common as Starly or Pidgey, it has been called the afterlife – but it is no such thing, and the children there are very much alive.

Every Friday, the Drifloon post attempts to deliver messages from the lost children – many of them by this point grown, but unable to have children because of the strange physics of their new world - through a post office in the Valley Windworks. Yet the Drifloon are normally scared away, for fear that they have come to abduct more children. Few letters ever arrive at the intended destination, and those who seek to tell the story of the Drifloon abductees soon learn that no matter how many letters they show, some things are too strange to be believed.


	426. Drifblim

Back when men believed the world was flat, it was said that whenever an explorer sailed off the edge of the world, a Drifblim was born. Today, it is known the world is a sphere, but there are still men who push its boundaries, and a pokemon once thought to be the ghosts of lost sailors are now the ghosts of those who die in aviation or astronomy accidents. In any age, Drifblim are the spirits of people who lose their lives pushing the boundaries of the known world.

When these restless, inquisitive spirits become Drifblim, they continue to explore by traveling around the world through uncharted territories, often going high enough to meet Rayquaza in the ozone layer. But Drifblim do not maintain their memories, and so the towering cities of men are to them as mysterious as anything in the pokemon world. Together with those who perished with them in life, they glide towards Goldenrod or Castelia, an aerial flotilla of the dead.

Yet humans have created weapons of aerial war based on pokemon such as Latias and Drifblim and used them to bomb each others' cities, and many explorers were themselves cruel tyrants seeking to subjugate unknown lands. It is not unheard of for a curious group of Drifblim to be mistaken for an invasion fleet, or when the city they find has few weapons, to become one for real.

It is, however, far more common for the Drifblim to simply float away. Many manage to escape Earth's atmosphere outright and take up residence on Earth's moon, where their floating does not mark them as unique, which men have always sought to explore, and which many exotic pokemon call home.


	427. Buneary

Buneary are a small pokemon, yet their ears contain enormous power. By unraveling them, not only can they bounce themselves high into the air with speeds resembling cannonballs, but in doing so they shatter the very ground beneath them.

No effective Buneary cannon was ever developed, because these pokemon destroyed all the prototypes in the process of launching themselves, but they still found use as a weapon to use on the ground. Countless generals whose exploits have been lost to legend are claimed by their respective homelands to have invented the Buneary trap; a strategem based on placing Buneary curled into small brown balls on the ends of bridges or the sides of mountains, then bouncing them to create landslides and destroy armies in an instant. This tactic, whatever its origin, was so effective and widely emulated that it remained in use for the rest of Sinnoh's wars, for ground pokemon are themselves vulnerable to the shattering force of a bouncing Buneary.

Today, these pokemon are used primarily at the Oreburgh mine as a natural equivalent to dynamite; the same purpose they have served since domestication. Yet they still dream of soaring the skies for more than a second at a time, and compete against one another not to shatter the biggest boulder, but to find the material which launches them highest into the air. Their own legends tell of a Buneary who found a magic rock that, when bounced on and shattered, propelled it all the way to the Nidorina in the moon. Occasionally, they run into conflicts with the miners, because to the Buneary gold and silver are nothing more than new bouncing platforms to try out.


	428. Lopunny

Although their elegant movements are of little use in battle, except when dodging attacks, Lopunny's rhythm and agility have made them beloved across Sinnoh as dancers capable of charming humans and pokemon alike. But while pokemon flock to them as potential lovers, this dancing ability has come at a cost, in not only creating a bipedal body shape, but a unique one which has made it extremely difficult to lay eggs in the traditional manner. The large ears of Buneary have difficulty developing in an eggshell, and Lopunny's narrow pelvis, being angled for bipedalism, has made egg-laying in the wild a dangerous process,

Lopunny are of interest to science for they have solved this issue in a way only paralleled in the pokemon world by humans and loosely by Kangaskhan; they are able to gestate mostly, in some cases entirely, within the mothers' body. For some time, because of the similarities of their reproductive systems, these pokemon were thought to be ancestral to man, and this idea captured the imagination of Sinnoh.

Humans have celebrated this supposed dancing heritage and chosen to emulate the techniques of the Lopunny incorporating them into video games and pokemon contests and celebrations alike. Humans, however, have only a vague shape in common with Lopunny in appearance; the puffy hands and tail and especially the enormous ears these pokemon possess have no counterparts in humanity, although they are often worn in costume. Man is a primate, an order named for Primeapes, their close relatives. Although some would still prefer a relation to such an elegant creature, Lopunny mania is nothing more than the quaint custom of our early scientific past which is still adhered to only by a few psuedo-scientists in Sinnoh.


	429. Mismagius

A great many of the deeds of so-called wizards are in reality nothing more than those of pokemon concealed by their trainer. For instance, the "fireball" spell is little more than waving one's hands and shouting incantations while a well-placed fire pokemon uses fire spin. The real wizards of this world can not be found among humans or among the living, for it is the Mismagius which are truly capable of practicing magic.

The meaning of "magic" itself has narrowed considerably over the years, as attacks and mysteries once attributed to it have since been resolved by science. But the mysterious incantation-based techniques of Mismagius (and their songs of death, which are shared by Lapras and a few others) have defied every paradigm and theory that has been ventured to explain them and every principle on which science rests. From summoning people and pokemon from across the planet to reversing entropy and raising the dead, Mismagius' strange powers defy explanation and natural laws, but are bound by their own bizarre set of rules; most importantly, that they may never be used in battle.

It is the sympathy of the gods, not some tome of hidden literature, which has given the Mismagius these powers, for their spirits must suffer greatly from a lover's betrayal to become a Misdreavus, and bathe in utter darkness to evolve into this form. Yet there have always been those cruel and ambitious enough to seek the power of magic at any cost, even if they must manipulate those around them into hating those they love. Even at the cost of their own lives.

It is one of Arceus' cruelest tricks that only when they gain the power of magic do they realize what an awful burden they now bear.


	430. Honchkrow

Organized crime specialists believe that the reason Johto never developed an organized crime syndicate on the level of Aqua, Magma, Galactic, or Plasma, but instead were victimized only by the expansion efforts of Kanto's Team Rocket, is that their pokemon had already filled that niche. And indeed Honchkrow have long been the most reviled of pests in the region, for while Houndoom can kill livestock, Honchkrow will gather together flocks to steal shiny coins from pokemarts and other places of business.

It is difficult to tell whether it was scared businessmen who first came up with the idea of leaving out coins for Honchkrow in order to avoid attacks, or whether the Honchkrow themselves gave the order. But it worked, insofar as the Honchkrow would accept the coins and move onto the next target. And so, much like human gangsters, they would grow their empires bit by bit in exchange for protection money, swoop down from the darkness at anyone who dared cross them, and use their cleverness and speed to defeat any electric-type bodyguard before it had a chance to fight back. But the term "protection money" remained an apt one, for Honchkrow are fiercely territorial and would chase away other flocks and any humans they considered a threat to their supply of shiny coins, until they were finally wiped out by a desperate and surprisingly powerful Team Rocket.

Yet Honchkrow evolve from the much more common Murkrow, and many Murkrow have evolved anew. Today, Honchkrow are more beloved than hated, for they have been defeated by inflation. The silver and golden coins which so taxed the merchants of old are no longer worth enough money to purchase a single potion, and shopkeepers today view the Honchkrow as bodyguards for hire on the cheap.


	431. Glameow

A Glameow's tail, once uncoiled, is nearly four times the length of its body, and is often said to look more like an electrical wire more than it does the tails of other normal-type pokemon. Indeed, it is thought that wires are precisely what modern Glameow tails evolved to resemble, for what few descriptions of these pokemon survive from the classical age compare them instead to fallen twigs and describe them as grayish-brown in color. Glameow hunt by extending their tails and laying a trap – the white puffball at the end is easily mistaken for any number of rolled-up, sleeping creatures - and their tails must therefore be disguised as common objects. For if Glameow tails are identified by their prey, the prey will stay away, and the Glameow will starve.

The peoples of ancient Sinnoh, in addition to plants, berries, and large game, often fed on the very same pokemon as the Glameow. Skilled hunters soon learned how to identify Glameow tails, and by waiting beside them no longer needed to chase long distances after Buizel or Kricketot. Initially, this gave rise to conflicts, but Glameow are too small and weak to drive off an armed, fully-grown man, and when a Glameow dies its tail disintegrates and can no longer be used as a trap, so the trappers of Sinnoh made sure to keep whichever Glameow they used fed.

It was not quite domestication. Glameow, no matter how much time they spend with a trapper or trainer, possess none of a Growlithe's loyalty; they are at best reluctant allies. But they are well aware of their role, and Glameow are willing to work with humans for mutual benefit, as they have been since long before the pokeball.


	432. Purugly

The winters of Sinnoh can grow bitterly cold, and Glameow are a thin pokemon whose fur is not coarse enough to keep them warm through the winter. As the legend goes, when the first Glameow evolved into its original new form, it found itself no warmer than before, but a great deal stronger, and resolved to use its strength to conquer the cold. At first, it bullied its way into the nests of other pokemon, much as Purugly do today, but no nest was warm enough, so it grew greedy and stole the blubber from Snorlax in the hope of gaining its warmth.

Some say it stole this blubber while Snorlax slept – no difficult task, given how often and deeply a Snorlax will sleep - and was cursed by Arceus itself for its crime, by being twisted into the ugly shape of modern Purugly. In other versions of the tale, Snorlax was awake, its whiskers were broken in the fight itself, and its body grew misshapen because although it had stolen Snorlax's fat, it was not a naturally thick-bodied pokemon like Walrein or Snorlax itself, and therefore had no easy way to wear what it had stolen.

And yet Glameow to this day strive to evolve, for they value warmth and power far more than they do beauty in human eyes. Purugly may be less graceful than Snorlax, but their bulk similarly protects them from the elements and adds to the power of their body slams – a far more rational explanation for their front-loaded and bulky appearance than ancestral damage or a divine curse. Then again, the pokemon world does not always run on reason, and it remains difficult to understand how a pokemon as vain as Glameow could evolve into such a slovenly beast.


	433. Chingling

Chingling are often thought by travelers to bear a strong resemblance to the bells used for music, timekeeping, and religious observances throughout Sinnoh; in reality, they are one and the same. Although Chingling are technically a baby pokemon, they often shy away from battle, preferring to ring for men in peace, and many spend their whole lives without evolving. Although a newborn Chingling's ring is often off-key, these pokemon shape their sound by eating metal over the course of their lives into a steady, mature sound, and death appears to be no impediment to their continued ringing.

There are many even today who consider the custom of using Chingling corpses to make music, instead of burying or cremating them in the manner of most temple pokemon, to be barbaric and sacrilegious. Many outsiders share this sentiment, for it seems that shrines mourns more when a Chingling evolves and floats away to Mount Pyre than when it dies, for they lose both the pokemon and the metal fed to cast the Chingling into a bell.

Yet the reason so few mourn Chingling's deaths is not a matter of financial calculation, but a recognition of the strange nature of death in Chingling; unless the bell is shattered, their spirits remain tied to the world of the living. They are not true ghosts, for their spirit has parted the world, but the bell remains as a focus for mediums to communicate with these pokemon – and those close to them – in the afterlife. Although they may ring for some other official function, those who ring the bells of Sinnoh always keep in mind the departed, Chingling and trainers alike.


	434. Stunky

There are few scents in the world more foul and noxious to human and pokemon noses than the spray of a Stunky. In combat, when sprayed in moderation it can distract opposing pokemon and annoy fans alike with its spray, which can make a thousand people at once cover their nose until it dissipates. A prolonged application of Stunky spray is the easiest way to turn any location into no man's land. In the wild, their habitats are marked by a relative lack of other pokemon who rely on smell, and for surviving human expansion with remarkably littler disruption. This fact has been noted since ancient times, and since antiquity people have experimented with ways to turn this power to their own use.

Armies throughout history would use Stunky to seal strategic locations against rival forces, or after a conquest, to render a location such as an enemy capital permanently uninhabitable. Oppressive regimes would surround slave plantations or entire countries with this same scent to dissuade people from leaving. When the wind was favorable, people would break through these barriers of scent, and at times a poor understanding of wind conditions would lead to far more valuable locations being inundated with Stunky odor. Meteorology got its start as the result of research in how to prevent such accidents, and to this day Stunky are often associated with weather forecasters.

Today, Stunky are usually used to protect fools from themselves. Hazardous sites ranging from nuclear accidents to mine fires attract their share of onlookers, and Stunky spray is much more effective than danger signs at keeping people without the proper protective gear away


	435. Skuntank

It is common for humans to burn candles or incense to drive away foul odors, but even large fire pokemon such as Infernape struggle to burn away Stunky spray, Gloom pollen, or the many other weapons used by poison pokemon to clear their surroundings. This is not because their fire is insufficiently strong, but because these pokemon have a time limit in the form of their own nose, and before long will flee back into their pokeballs, or if wild run as far away as possible. It is for this reason that they turn to the Skuntank.

Skuntank fire is not unique in its effectiveness, but in the fact that it comes from a poison pokemon accustomed to a stench every bit as foul as those it seeks to dissolve: its own. Although an angered Skuntank can make even Stunky run away, Skuntank refuse to spray for prolonged periods, and in the wild will often burn away the smells of their own children to keep peace in their habitat; as fewer survive to adulthood, more lands have been lost to the stench of Stunky.

This is not, however, to say that Skuntank are kinder and gentler than their younger counterparts. Skuntank are nearly as greedy as humans, and will demand vast ransoms in food before agreeing to burn away any smell – a ransom which even starving peasants would sooner pay than risk losing next year's harvest to the smell of their fields. The Skuntank themselves, like Honchkrow, are often the very pokemon responsible for the problem they seek to solve, and many in Sinnoh have wondered if all dark pokemon engage in extortion. It is their extorted pay which accounts for their greatly increased size and enormous tails, for Skuntank never stop growing, and the tail grows fastest.


	436. Bronzor

Deep in a shrine in Unova sits the Reveal Glass, which is said to be able to change the formes of Unova's land, air, and thunder gods, and believed to be the ancestor of all Bronzor. On the other side of the ocean, it is believed that this glass is a copy, and the real ancestor belongs to the family of the former emperor in Ecruteak and has handed down through the generations from Arceus. In truth, there is no single ancestor. Bronze mirrors were common as symbols of truth and legitimacy in the ancient world, similar mirrors have been found at many archaeological sites, and all of them have the mysterious ability to give rise to living Bronzor.

Like the bronze mirrors of old, which were imbued with a certain forgotten enchantment or technology, what a Bronzor reflects is not necessarily what exists in the present. At times it does exactly that; when a pokemon attempts to attack them, they see their own ferocious faces in the enemy and soon return to their pokeballs in terror. But when a human looks into this mirror, they are confronted instead with a series of unexplained images about themselves, which some men and women through the ages have believed to reflect the afterlife and the judgment of Arceus, but others always considered to be their own future or their subconscious desires.

Whatever they reflect, most people have always treated the Bronzor with reverence. But Bronzor are extremely intelligent pokemon, and their ideas have been often considered unbelievable; furthermore, some have found the images too disturbing to accept. Therefore, a few skeptics in every age have claimed that the images seen in the teal, living mirrors called Bronzor are nothing more than a product of the mirror's own imagination.


	437. Bronzong

Many trainers have bemoaned that fighting Bronzong is worse than fighting Spiritomb, for they resist a great many pokemon, and although they have a weakness they will not tell them which one. Some of these pokemon shrug off heat and fear nothing except attacks from below, while others are damaged by heat, but levitate over ground techniques. Some would rather try to crack a Shuckle, for these pokemon are some of the best defenders known to man.

Bronzor are found at many shrines for religious purposes, but the wealth of shrines has frequently made these shrines a target even in conflicts with no religious component, for holy items can fetch a large price on the black market. To protect worshipers and treasures alike, it has been common to foist the responsibilities of a temple guardian on a Bronzor, changing its form into a giant steel bell whose sound reverberates throughout whatever town they call home in a signal to take up arms.

Although Bronzong are skilled at self-defense, their true purpose of these pokemon and the "battles" they call a town's fighting men to is preservation. The battle is simply a means to buy time; Bronzong's tough defenses are another way to do so. Until they are knocked out, Bronzong will seek to gather and hide within themselves whatever relics of the gods their home shrine holds from looters, for these pokemon are hollow. And their immunities are designed not to make them difficult to fight, although few priests would complain about this fact, but because fire and structural collapse are the greatest dangers to a pokemon gathering items from a temple under siege.

Thankfully, the age of war has finally passed, and this pokemon's secret can be shared not only among priests, but with the rest of humanity.


	438. Bonsly

While farmers celebrate the wet season, for it means a bountiful harvest, and plants bloom greener than ever from the rain, Bonsly have long been noted to cry endless tears. Some people say that this is because Bonsly have few leaves and no flowers, and they cry out of jealousy, for trainers and collectors alike ignore them in favor of more vibrant, actually grass-type pokemon. Bonsly may grow in natural flowerpots, but even berry trees, which can not even speak, are more popular in gardens.

Others say the Bonsly cry out of mourning. For when it rains too long, even humans can see their homes and harvests wiped away by floods. For there are pokemon with short lifespans who fail to survive the changing of the seasons, such as young bug pokemon who drown even in small puddles for they can not yet swim or fly. For while Sudowoodo must be the guardian spirits of the whole forest, Bonsly must keep watch over a much smaller area, and learn to know their neighbors, however tiny or doomed, far better, and mourn even those who the gods forget.

Today, it is understood that Bonsly, unlike Sudowoodo, have a biological need to cry; as rock pokemon, they are not nourished by water, but find it a source of erosion. Many have been quick to jettison the old tales about Bonsly in light of this discovery, but it would be wiser to look behind the tears. For if Bonsly are merely removing excess fluid through their eyes, then why are they so sad? Humans today may think otherwise, but even pokemon acknowledge the sorrow behind Bonsly's tears.


	439. Mime Jr

A Mime Jr's mimicry is so spellbinding that it is all but impossible for anyone to avert their eyes without lengthy training, and this ability has made them a beloved pokemon among pickpockets. It is a common scam for Mime Jr. to host 'free' street performances while their trainers move stealthily through the audience, robbing the unlucky onlookers of everything from spare change to pokeballs.

Pokemon are slightly more immune to this trick than humans, and often leave their pokeballs before any Mime Jr. show because they hear the movements of pickpockets and fear being stolen. Yet they too are often enraptured by the performance once it begins, and many find themselves sans their held items before it ends. They will, however, notice the lack of any item at all, so it is common for Mime Jr and their allies to replace them with items they will find a hindrance. It is, after all, quite difficult to catch a thief while carrying an Iron Ball, and few pokemon are capable of letting go of their own item in a situation nearly as chaotic as a pokemon battle.

The Mime Jr. who participate in this scam are rarely endangered even by police, for they can easily surround themselves in invisible walls in the manner of a full-grown Mr. Mime, but the same can not be said of their thieving trainers. The risk for pickpockets, who must move within the crowd, comes from the police department, but not from the human officers; it is police pokemon such as Growlithe and Snubbull who can capture them. The senses of hearing and smell in these pokemon are remarkably strong, and Mime Jr are powerless to stop them, for their performance only seals the eyes of onlookers.


	440. Happiny

There is a popular legend about a society of pokemon spelunkers in ancient Unova, set before humans first settled the area, which was administered by a group of Happiny called HAPPI. This HAPPI – an organization which in modern Unova is often given backronyms, because of the extreme rarity of Happiny today, but was derived quite clearly from the pokemon which was initially said to run it - performed functions similar to the pokemon leagues of modern human society, categorizing and aiding the successes of many a pokemon adventurer.

Today, when the legend is said to have factual basis at all, it is said to be inspired by the sight of cave-dwelling pokemon caring for orphaned Happiny. The feud between Kyurem and Hydreigon is echoed in many mythologies, and the world destroying bitter cold is a memory of the ice age given a moral spin. The key role of HAPPI is far more difficult to explain away, so it is attributed to the active imaginations of storytellers and prophets.

It should not be, for the Happiny were not associated with HAPPI by chance. As brutal as competition for mates and food in the wild can become, Happiny may freely ignore it, for they can subsist off their own yolk for long periods at a time and usually reproduce by parthogenesis. No matter how awful the world becomes, Happiny still turn their talents to aiding pokemon and trying to spread compassion around the world, because they need not compete to survive.

Perhaps a remarkable group of Happiny was so successful that they inspired or even organized other pokemon to save lost travelers in caves and take down pokemon who were too inclined to bullying, and from there the story of HAPPI was born. Perhaps HAPPI was more than mere legend.


	441. Chatot

Unlike other pokemon, who speak and understand numerous languages opaque to humans, each made up of a few repeated syllables, the Chatot have no voice of their own. In the wild, they copy the voices of local pokemon to communicate; the name "Chatot" comes from the first known population, who spoke that word as their name because they were surrounded by Charmander and Kricketot. Chatot's language, if it merits the term (for it must rely extensively on non-verbal elements, for their words vary between individual Chatot so dramatically) is most similar to that of the Muk, even though Chatot often speak in lengthy sentences, for they are unable to mix up the order of their syllables.

Chatot can also be trained to copy messages exactly, not only the words but the tone, emphasis, and everything else they ordinarily change when engaging in communication, like a living frism or an audio recorder. It is this use which has made them popular tools among humans, often used to replace mail carriers such as Pidgeot and Pelipper. Intercepted Chatot remain perfectly silent, and they leave no written letters to decipher, so they are perfect for sending secrets, but they were also used whenever the actual voice was as important as the message it contained.

Chatot have never been nearly as popular in battle, and with the advent of telephones and computers an increasing number are being released back into the wild. They are not particularly strong, so their trainers instead use strategies based on confusion. Most commonly, Chatot fight by hiding their location and exploiting the fact that few things are more disorienting for opponents than the sound of a Chatot and its trainer speaking with a single voice.


	442. Spiritomb

Most pokemon, whether living or dead, can claim a single soul; a few, such as Dodrio, claim three and are therefore often riven with conflict. And then there are the Spiritomb, where 108 souls joined together somehow work seamlessly together to cover each others' weaknesses and become a remarkably powerful pokemon.

The reason these souls act as such effective allies is still debated. Some have suggested that, because there are so many, each soul realizes the futility of trying to control the pokemon's body on their own and they make every decision by majority vote. Others suggest they take turns, and each spirit fears losing its turn if it rebels. A few suppose that the souls, having lost the ability to control their body, have made peace with their form and spend their time losing themselves in mental conversations with one another and forming powerful friendships. Others say that Spiritomb souls so hate being sealed together that they are united in vengeance upon the world which sought to punish them for their sins. Asking the Spiritomb themselves has resolved nothing, for each one gives a different answer. Perhaps which reason is true differs based on the individual Spiritomb, but all have been bound together long enough in their keystones that they have found a way to collaborate.

No matter their own rationale, Spiritomb have become a powerful symbol of unity, used by many governments to symbolize the common people working together for a myriad of goals, and not only because of the souls sealed within each of these pokemon. For while a single or three-souled pokemon can be caught by a single trainer, only a powerful individual who can count many pokemon trainers as their allies can release a Spiritomb from their hellish keystone prison and make them their own.


	443. Gible

It was once widely believed that Wayward Cave's small colony of Gible was descended from a small group who accidentally tunneled through the center of the Earth. Needless to say, this is a legend; the earth's core is molten and Wayward Cave is located in Sinnoh, which is a floating Torterra island not connected to the Earth's crust. But Gible do have a penchant for turning up in the strangest of places, and rarely by design; indeed, the first Gible probably arrived in that cave by accident.

Gible, like their evolved forms, have thrusters on the sides of their head which act essentially as jetpacks, although they are easily mistaken for ears. But while Gabite and Garchomp use their thrusters to boost their speed while running and aid them while hunting prey (or today, in pokemon battles) Gible burrow into the ground like Sandile and hope unsuspecting pokemon will walk into their jaws. The reason their thrusters develop so early is not to hunt, but to escape larger predators by rocketing through the ground or the air. But unlike their evolutions, Gible's round body and light weight are easily hurled high into the air, and these pokemon have little control over where they land.

Getting lost is rarely fatal for Gible, for these pokemon are remarkably adaptable. Even if they land in water, they are buoyant enough to float and water pokemon float by their mouths nearly as frequently as terrestrial pokemon do. Their only nemesis is the cold, and many have frozen from straying too far from the tropics, but if they can find a warm current or a heated cave this can be overcome. What needs explanation is not the Gible colony in Sinnoh, but why there are not more Gible colonies in other warm and distant lands..


	444. Gabite

Gabite are called the cave pokemon, for even Zubat and Geodude spend more of their time in the open air than they do. The caves they call home have often been compared to a Pupitar's cocoon or a Shelgon's shell, for Gabite are nearly as adept at sealing themselves off in their intermediate form while they grow into their godlike power; it is just that they use their environment as their armor.

As any student of pokemon battles knows, Gabite, like Garchomp, are remarkably difficult to hit in a sandstorm. It is commonly held that there are no sandstorms in caves, and this is true in a meteorological sense, just as there is no meteorological rain in water gyms. Yet pokemon are capable of creating a number of localized weather effects, and those who live in caves are far more likely to hurl dust and gravel into the air than call forth rain or sun or falling ice.

It is these pokemon who Gabite train against until they can become Garchomp, day after day over a period often longer than a human lifetime. Some have wondered if Gabite would be as invulnerable to other weather conditions if they trained outdoors, but humans have now been raising Gible and Gabite for centuries and although they evolve faster with this help, they have not become such challenging targets in any other type of weather. The movements of Gabite are a natural fit for hiding within sandstorms, even though most never see a desert and have forgotten even the sight of the sky.


	445. Garchomp

Although they are not true gods – they evolve from Gabite, and are not unique – Garchomp have been referred to in Sinnoh as the god of pokemon battles. It is an apt description, for were they ever to fight, Garchomp would probably fell most of the gods.

Beloved as a symbol of courage and heroism, Garchomp have been viewed as the ultimate warriors since long before men learned how to tame them in pokeballs, and when men did learn they quickly used them to dominate the battlefield. It was behind a Garchomp that Nobunaga unified Ransei, and its raw power won so much credit for his victories that he occasionally took the field with a Hydreigon instead, simply to prove he was also a skilled tactician. But every pokemon has a weakness and Garchomp in particular can only fight ice pokemon by hoping to knock them out before they can attack. After all, it was Mitushide, who famously specialized in ice pokemon, that finally slew Nobunaga and his Garchomp.

Today, pokemon trainers have replaced warlords, but Garchomp are as powerful as ever. The Sinnoh league (and in this era of travel and global trades, increasingly leagues in other countries as well) does not consist solely of Garchomp, because there is a rule against using more than one of the same pokemon – a rule established after a trainer named Cynthia won the annual championship with six Garchomp, for fear that everyone else would follow in her footsteps. This year's Sinnoh quarter-finalists all used Garchomp or pokemon used specifically to counter Garchomp, and more often than not, both – a fact little mentioned by the media, for they might as well have been pointing out that trainers can only carry six pokemon each.


	446. Munchlax

Back when war was a regular occurrence in this world, Munchlax were also known as the scorched earth pokemon. The term scorched earth derives from before the domestication of Munchlax, when armies would literally burn harvests to deny invaders or rebels food and force them into surrender. But many crops can take time to burn, fires can be seen from afar, and peasants more fearful of scorched earth tactics than of losing the war took up cultivating Rawst and Occa berries, which are impervious to flame.

When Munchlax were first domesticated, scorched earth was an ancient strategy known only to military historians, but these pokemon brought back hunger to warfare. This tactic was rediscovered when a commander brought along his Munchlax for battle, but its enormous appetite devoured much of the army's rations, so after a mutiny it was let loose upon the countryside to feed. With their undefended fields picked bare by a single pokemon, the rebel farmers sued for peace, and a brutally effective tactic was born.

Munchlax soon became a staple in the armies of those few countries large enough to feed them in peacetime. Unlike Snorlax, whose enormous appetite (although enough to often bankrupt a trainer) is tempered by lengthy periods of sleep, Munchlax are awake as often as humans, and spend the whole time eating like Snorlax. Many called them a double-edged sword, and held that they were as effective on one's own people in peacetime as on one's enemies in war.

In this peaceful era, Munchlax are all but extinct. A few scientists keep them for research, and a few billionaires own them as exotic pets, but the overwhelming majority of breeders (and many worried trainers) do not allow Snorlax to hold full incense under any circumstances, lest they lay a Munchlax egg.


	447. Riolu

Riolu are known to see the emotions of others in the form of mysterious auras. But the emotions displayed by humans frequently differ from the true ones shown in the auras which Riolu see. For instance, a person in deep despair may wear a smile, lest another person try in vain to cheer them up and do nothing but strengthen their sorrows. Conversely, a person at a funeral may attempt to cry and suppress unrelated joys, lest it be thought they are happy about the deceased's parting.

Pokemon trainers in particular must learn to keep a steady face, for visible elation can convince an opponent to quickly change tactics, and visible disappointment can likewise give an opponent confidence. Most ignore their foe's faces, lest they be fooled by a deceptive expression, but wearing one's emotions on their sleeve is a quick way to lose a battle, and this is as true of pokemon as their trainers.

Riolu are young pokemon, still learning to attach the myriad of auras people and pokemon display to their emotions. In the wild, they seclude themselves in remote caves where few humans venture, for wild pokemon do not yet know how to lie about their emotions. If a domestic Lucario lays an egg, or a Riolu is captured before evolution, trainers must find somewhere equally remote and take care to display their emotions openly for the duration of their training. This is a difficult task to learn, and no less hard to unlearn, and the distance one must travel to find the right location is nearly as great a hardship. But if their trainer fails to train them where faces are honest, Riolu will never learn to use auras to see through their opponents' strategy and witness the true feelings behind a pokemon battle.


	448. Lucario

Lucario are renowned for their remarkable speed and agility, and their weight is not significantly higher than most bipeds of their height made of skin and bone. Despite this, they are one of the imprecisely named "steel" type, their spikes and skeleton made of a remarkably light yet sturdy metal once used in the swords and armor of great soldiers and legendary heroes: mithril.

The mithril mines were exhausted in a more heroic era, so for the past few centuries, unscrupulous individuals have sought to "mine" mithril by killing and selling Lucario. Although gunpowder has largely ended mithril's military use, it still shines more brightly than gold, and commands a higher price for sale. But these poachers are all but inevitably stymied, for Lucario are swift runners who can see a hostile aura (or a friendly one) from a half-mile away, and pokemon made of mithril are not easily slain. Domestic Lucario, however, are seldom buried; their trainers mourn as much as for any pokemon, but typically sell their corpses for scrap and use the money to swiftly train a replacement.

Lucario themselves carry forth the traditions of the heroic mithril-clad warriors of old. They fight not with swords and axes, but with spikes and claws, yet possess every bit as much courage and skill and use surprisingly similar techniques to boot. Indeed, fight scenes in fantasy movies at Pokestar Studios are often filmed with a well-dressed Lucario in place of the hero, despite the extensive makeup required for a Lucario to portray a human being. No matter how well a human stunt double can be trained, the way these pokemon battle far more resembles the legendary adventurers of old than do any of the human methods of combat which have survived into this age.


	449. Hippopotas

It is said in Sinnoh that the desert flows from Hippopotas' nostrils. Wild Hippopotas have long been shooed away from farmland or hunted outright not for fear of them eating crops or livestock, but out of the belief that they would destroy arable land, dry up rivers, and end the rain.

This fear is an exaggeration – not enough sand flows from a single Hippopotas' nose or even a small but viable breeding population to change the weather - but it is not wholly without merit. People have long noticed the swirling sand around each individual Hippopotas, and this sand creates desert conditions in a single pokemon battle. And long ago, when the wild Hippopotas of Sinnoh were exiled to a single road on the island in the far north, Sinnoh's one, tiny desert was born, and it remains dry not from poor soil or low cloud cover, but from its large population of these sand-breathing pokemon.

But Sinnoh's people were willing to sacrifice this road, rather than drive the Hippopotas to extinction, because there were times they still needed them. When torrential downpours and melting snow threatened dramatic floods, Hippopotas are brought back to Sinnoh to end the rain. In winter, they are summoned to end severe snowstorms and to quickly melt snow (for salt in ancient Sinnoh was a rare commodity) while in summer, they paradoxically are used to reduce heat by spewing enough sand into the air to partially blot out the sun. It is a great joy for the Hippopotas whenever they are called upon, for they have never accepted their desert exile and still dream of returning to Sinnoh for good.


	450. Hippowdon

The sexual dimorphism in the colors of Hippowdon does not have its origin in a mating display akin to Unfezant's; Hippowdon find the opposite sex's color, whether tan or black, as drab as humans do. Both sexes of Hippowdon are colored for camouflage, and their colors mirror those of the sand they breathe.

The tan sand of male Hippowdon is that of most deserts, and in those deserts male Hippowdon can easily sneak up on prey, hidden within a storm of their own breath that is mistaken for a piece of desert picked up by the wind. Unlike the Hippopotas, the large and lumbering Hippowdon require this camouflage to survive, so male Hippopotas will usually return to the desert of their fathers once they sense that evolution is soon.

The black sand of female Hippowdon, on the other hand, requires them to live near volcanoes. Volcanic sand is as black in color as they are, but volcanoes which produce enough sand are not easily found near deserts. This serves as the main break on Hippowdon population growth, for although male Hippowdon can easily survive in places from the Sahara to Orre, females are too easily seen for them to find food. Conversely, female Hippowdon have little difficulty on many volcanic islands and beaches, but the males are equally visible.

Hippowdon do best in that intersection of volcano and desert where most of their prey inhabit, and their unusual sexual dimorphism confines them to that biome in the wild, at least to a degree. But if a volcano or desert alone has sufficiently abundant prey, vast hordes of Hippowdon will migrate there, summoned by the opposite sex, and create enough black or tan sand that both can call it home.


	451. Skorupi

Once in about every thousand years, volcanic eruptions create concentrations of atmospheric dust so high that the sky becomes too dark for grass pokemon and plants to grow. For humans and pokemon higher up the food chain, these years have meant starvation, especially in marginal areas such as deserts where plant life hangs in the first place by a thread.

The lone exception to these disasters are the Skorupi, who can spend an entire year in barren deserts without any need for food. When the dust dissipates and spring comes again, plant life will grow back from their seeds and roots, but most of their predators will not. In these years, Skorupi are as common in the desert as Bidoof are in Sinnoh's grass, free from predation and able to poison Cacnea with ease.

It is this resilience which has kept the Skorupi unchanged since the Permian era in a variety of marginal habitats, of which deserts are the most recent, and allowed them to survive countless mass extinctions. They will endure long beyond most wild pokemon, no matter how much man destroys with pollution or industry. Pollution has only an indirect effect on these poison-types; it can wipe out their food, but all it does to the Skorupi themselves is make their venom more potent. If their current food supply, the (in no way endangered) Cacnea, were to be driven to extinction, it would kill very few Skorupi.

The rest would leave the desert – for even small bug pokemon can travel a great distance in a year – and search for something to feed on, for Skorupi are omnivores and not remotely picky. And these pokemon would surely find prey that survived whatever caused Cacnea's destruction, as they have throughout the horrors of eons.


	452. Drapion

There are a great many warriors who have opined that poison is a coward's way to fight; very few of them, however, are also poison-type pokemon! Drapion's weaknesses and resistances can only be explained by them being both dark and poison pokemon, much like their larval form of Skorupi, and poison extracted from Drapion carcasses is remarkably potent and fast-acting. There can be no doubt that every Drapion possesses the ability to poison as surely as a Weezing or Muk; they simply refuse to use it, although it would make them beloved by trainers and assassins alike.

If questioned by one of those few who can bridge the language barrier between people and pokemon, many Drapion deny having the ability to poison others at all. When confronted with their poison use as Skorupi, they speak of it as a childish and shameful mistake, even if they at the time considered it a necessity to survive. Their continued evidence of internal poison is seen not as a method to poison others, but as a resistance to other poison-type pokemon. And this is a resistance they need. Drapion often turn their heads a full 180 degrees around, for they are terrified – some say paranoid - of being chased. The fraternity of poisoners, much like organized crime or armies, does not tolerate desertion, and many Drapion have indeed been attacked out of nowhere by other poison pokemon.

Yet the barrier between Drapion and poison use is entirely a psychological one. A few trainers are so skilled in rhetoric that they convince their Drapion that there is no shame in being a poison pokemon. When they do, they must also rediscover the poison attacks of the Drapion, lost for generations, to unleash these pokemon's awesome and terrifying power.


	453. Croagunk

Croagunk venom is highly toxic to the vast majority of pokemon, a fact Croagunk take advantage of by jabbing other pokemon with their fingers and then running away until their foe faints – or worse, perishes. Wild Croagunk are known to use this poison to hunt pokemon far larger than themselves, eschewing small prey in favor of feasting on the occasional large beast to wander past their marshland homes. Despite this, their venom has no deleterious effect whatsoever on humans.

The origin of human immunity to Croagunk poison has been frequently debated by philosophers and occasionally biologists. It is indeed unique to humans; their closest living relatives, such as Primeape and Infernape, are easily felled by the poison of Croagunk. Humans are about the right size to be Croagunk prey, so some have considered it a defensive adaptation on the part of the Croagunk, for humans form large communities and take revenge whenever a pokemon slay one of their own. Others have supposed the opposite; that so many early humans fell prey to the Croagunk that only those immune to their poison were left alive.

It is common for Croagunk to poke, jab at, and manhandle their trainers, much to the trainers' chagrin, but they do this as a show of affection and treat other Croagunk the same way. Such prolonged roughhousing gives Croagunk trainers enough toxins in their bloodstream to kill a Mamoswine. But for them, and for other humans, it is only a painkiller, often one which eases pain from the very wounds these boisterous fighting pokemon cause. Croagunk poison may be harmless to humans, but their fingers still hurt them when jammed into one at a sufficiently high speed.


	454. Toxicroak

Most pokemon supply about two words to human languages, but they are merely words derived from a pokemon's name which mean little in association with one another. The Toxicroak, however, provide us with the phrase "Toxic croak" for they can belch their venom in the form of a highly painful gas signaled not by sight or smell only by the sound of their voice. It has been compared to a perish song, but without its haunting beauty; it is "sung" in a frog's belching voice and does not backfire on the user.

The same can not be said of the trainer and any audience, so this attack is all but unknown in officially sanctioned pokemon matches. In unofficial matches, such as those between the police or would-be heroes and criminal gangs (of which Team Galactic is the most famous in recent years, although they have many antecedents) the Toxicroak thrive for precisely that ability. Team Galactic's outfits, like those of countless lawless groups in Sinnoh's history, are made of a special fabric which prevents Toxicroak venom from contacting the skin. This fact is rarely appreciated by law enforcement and vigilantes, for Galactic members have exposed faces, but a Toxicroak's gas is heavier than air and can not rise higher than the pokemon's height. Instead, it permeates the skin to painful effect, leaving most trainers in far too much agony to continue commanding their pokemon.

In the wild, Toxicroak croak only as a means to drive would-be predators and poachers away; their claws, not their voice, is how they hunt. The toxin is never fatal, for Toxicroak would far rather the victims of their venom survive to warn others to stay away – a tactic which most criminals in Sinnoh emulate, except against particularly tenacious enemies who can never accept defeat..


	455. Carnivine

It was once believed that whenever a grass pokemon died, it became a Carnivine, and that other ghosts are the spirits of the animal kingdom. But despite their levitation and thin, wispy bodies, Carnivine are not true ghosts, but living, floating plants. Their enormous, toothy mouths are used not on humans, despite the primal terror they evoke, but solely devour those spirits, such as Gastly and Yamask, who are unable to move on from this world.

For this reason, the Carnivine are often used to perform exorcisms, although never without ethical controversy. When a traditional exorcist convinces a ghost to move on, it fades into nothingness. But when a Carnivine hunts them, the ghost will attempt to flee, be chased through walls, and scream in haunting, abject terror before being eaten. Some have taken this fear to mean that Carnivine gain their nutrients not from the ethereal, typically gaseous bodies of ghost pokemon, but by eating – and destroying – their very souls. But death itself is a painful process, whether oblivion, reincarnation, or an afterlife awaits, and this is as true for those who have suffered it yet are bound to this world as for those who have not yet died.

Interestingly, no one has yet figured out how to kill a Carnivine. Darkness does not make them wilt, nor does keeping them away from ghosts for prolonged periods of time make them starve to death. It is possible that these pokemon, like many grass-types, are extremely resilient and long-lived, and that it is simple coincidence that none have yet seen them die. But some consider them true immortals, for they are already halfway in the spirit world, and believe that death is conquered not by becoming a ghost, but only by discovering some way to become a Carnivine.


	456. Finneon

The two wing-shaped fins which comprise Finneon's tail are known not for their role in locomotion, but their appearance; they do little but absorb sunlight in the daytime, but at night they glow brighter than anything else in the sea. Phytoplankton are drawn to the light and potential nourishment, but are quickly gobbled up, for this brightness evolved as a ruse for hunting. But the Finneon enjoy shining all the same, and other pokemon always watch them in awe.

Humans have often employed the Finneon as mobile warning lights, typically using small schools of them to ward ships away from rocks or whirlpools which may be difficult to see in the dark, or to mark contentious maritime borders. Yet Finneon are relatively weak creatures with a strong instinct for self-preservation, so they can at times be manipulated by others. For instance, an unscrupulous nation may seek to alter nautical boundaries by chasing Finneon away with trained Sharpedo, then reposition them on the other side of a disputed maritime resource, provided the stretches of sea look similar enough to fool navigators and law enforcement. Maritime patrols can likewise be warded away from activity one seeks to keep hidden, and many Finneon lights mark not hazards, but pirate lairs.

There are ways to track Finneon activity to try to distinguish genuine warning Finneon from imposters, but many treasure hunters and pirate patrols have drowned after mistaking a genuine hazard warning for one set up to disguise a lair. It is one thing to figure out from the subtle differences in their light and their level of energy when a Finneon is new to an area; another thing to determine why. The hazards of the sea are ever-changing, so not every relocated Finneon is a ruse, and some ruses last a long time.


	457. Lumineon

It was said by the ancients that the first Lumineon did not swim through the darkest depths of the ocean, but flew through the night sky on its butterfly wings. Those on the ground mistook it for a planet, for it shone as brightly as planets did, and its dark blue coloration prevented the rest of this pokemon from being seen. Yet with these comparisons, Lumineon grew arrogant, and sought to challenge the moon for the prize of the brightest of the stars.

The moon (usually portrayed as a Lunatone in this tale) did not fight for itself, because it feared its weakness to water, but sent forth Cresselia as its champion. Lumineon accepted the substitute, confident of its power, but was defeated by Cresselia's first attack. The attack stripped Lumineon of its power of flight, so it fell out of the sky into the ocean, then continued to plunge all the way to the sea floor.

Cresselia's attack had left Lumineon's wings as aerodynamic as an Empoleon's as a punishment for its hubris. But Lumineon did not mourn, for it had become the brightest light in the deep sea, with no sunlight, moonlight, or even starlight to compete with its shine. It laid eggs all around the oceans, which hatched into many children, and today its descendants light the way for divers and pokemon alike. Yet they are as jealous of this privilege as their legendary ancestor, and will frequently attack the artificial lights carried by scuba divers or fight to drive Lanturn up to the brighter parts of the ocean.


	458. Mantyke

Those who send pokemon into combat are called pokemon trainers, not pokemon battlers. Most of any battle is won before the match begins, for a set of techniques must be selected before any fight, and a pokemon's talent brought out in a myriad of potential ways. During an actual match, pokemon trainers can do little but shout commands and switch pokemon. Those who desire a greater level of control than pokemon battles allow for typically turn to video games, but an increasing number from around the world have instead come to Sinnoh for the ancient tradition of Mantyke kiting.

Mantyke are a lightweight pokemon who in the wild maneuver by gliding on the wind, for they can barely flap their wings. Yet by tying a string to these pokemon and extending and retracting it or altering one's own position, humans can exert a remarkable control over a Mantyke in midair from their surfboards or water pokemon. The use of some kind of floating platform requires enormous dexterity and balance from the Mantyke battler, although it remains an aquatic sport as much because it is easier to find bodies of water than large open spaces on land as because of tradition or appreciation for this particular skill.

For all the elaborate patterns on each Mantyke's back, for all the ritual and tradition around these contests, Mantyke kiting is a competitive sport. The two Mantyke in each event engage in combat not unlike pokemon in battles, typically by shooting bubbles at or ramming one another while dodging their foe. A Mantyke's own ability, especially their endurance, plays a significant role in determining victory or defeat. But the greats of this competition can remain on top even after their Mantyke evolves, for the human element is much greater than in pokemon battles.


	459. Snover

The most important piece of advice for Snover trainers is to always carry a thick umbrella or wear a helmet when Snover is not within its pokeball. Like their evolved form of Abomasnow, these pokemon are walking hailstorms; unlike Abomasnow, they are not the exclusive province of experienced trainers with dedicated ice-type teams. Children in Snowpoint City and other cold, high-precipitation regions frequently capture Snover and travel with them, but take some time to notice that the severe hailstorms which follow them around, even in warmer towns, are not meteorological in origin. Trainers from elsewhere are also drawn to their cute appearance and unique abilities.

Snover are considered a nuisance by many people and banned within certain towns, but outside of a small radius are not particularly dangerous; indeed, the biggest danger they pose is to their trainers themselves. A trainer is always in closer proximity to their own pokemon than their opponent's, and while most Snover hail is more irritating than dangerous, heavy hailstones have been known to injure or even kill trainers when landing on their heads. To prevent this, some trainers go to the opposite extreme, leaving their Snover in a pokeball at all times except in battle. Others walk at long distances behind their Snover to take only a small piece of the blizzard, and see their pokemon only through the snow. But these techniques leave trainers unable to create the strong bonds with their pokemon which are so often necessary for victory.

Snover are a difficult pokemon to train, and frequently require a trainer to adjust their whole team, even before evolution, into one which takes advantage of the cold. Expert Snover and Abomasnow trainers relish the snowstorms their pokemon bring, even while enduring them, for they must be even more frustrating to enemy pokemon!


	460. Abomasnow

Reports that Abomasnow eat hapless travelers are nothing more than rumors, but these pokemon should nonetheless be treated with an abundance of caution. Fierce blizzards follow wherever Abomasnow travel, and it is this, not a penchant for human flesh, which makes them so dangerous. Their tough, snow-covered body combines the sturdiness of a tree trunk with the camouflage of a Glaceon, and colliding with them is often fatal.

Abomasnow are not malicious pokemon; on the contrary, they weep for every person they kill. They are gentle giants, often seen carrying off the corpses of those killed in these collisions to give them a proper burial in snow too thick to melt for thousands of years. Yet because these bodies are not found for eons, and because Abomasnow look more like menacing beasts than trees, men familiar with predatory and scavenging pokemon have throughout history jumped to the worst of conclusions.

The bodies preserved by Abomasnow burials, on those rare occasions they have surfaced, have become a boon to paleontology and archaeology alike. The evergreen leaves of Abomasnow preserve whatever they touch against erosion, an ability which lets an individual Abomasnow survive for thousands of years; it is fire, not old age, which usually does them in. It is said that beneath the polar icecaps sits the largest group of Abomasnow burials, a graveyard of natural history millions of years old. If discovered, it would be a boon to science many a pokemon professor would love to obtain. But treasure hunters and pokedex holders alike shy away, for this area is still guarded by many an Abomasnow, and Abomasnow are still an extremely dangerous pokemon rumored to devour human flesh.


	461. Weavile

The difference by which scientists classify Sneasel and Weavile is not the red crown and collar that most trainers use to distinguish the two, for it is in truth little more than an accessory, which can be lost and must be hand-crafted, typically from luminescent materials on the night of the pokemon's evolution. Instead, the evolution is distinguished from its predecessor by its razor-sharp claws, capable of not only carving up other pokemon, but leaving messages in tree bark, boulders, and other natural material, for it is their strange writing which makes a Weavile.

The messages which Weavile leave for one another are not written in emulation of the Unown, like the alphabets of humans, nor can they be understood as pictographs. It originated as a code and uses scratches wholly unlike those of men as a means of cryptography, for Weavile are thieves and pack hunters, and therefore benefit mightily from secrecy. Yet any secret spread too widely is bound to be discovered, and there have always been Weavile willing to leak their codes to weasel out of punishment.

In lands where Unown and literacy already existed, this led to little more than the rounding up of the local Weavile gang, at least until the pokemon got wise and changed the meaning of their scratches completely. But in many isolated lands around the world, humans have been fascinated by the very idea of leaving messages in a permanent form, and learned to write in scripts scratched out by Weavile claws. In these lands, Weavile left theft behind for the privileges of scribes, for their claws scratch out words in far more surfaces than any human tool, but used their writing for palace intrigue nearly as often as they did for public administration.


	462. Magnezone

Magnezone may seem like a poor method of transportation, for they are large, heavy, and not particularly fast pokemon, although they are far quicker than humans. Yet in Sinnoh, they are the single most popular method of transportation, used by more people than either bicycles, flying pokemon, Rapidash, or cars.

The two magnetic poles of the Pokemon World are Mount Coronet in Sinnoh and Chargestone Cave in Unova, and Magnezone use their proximity to these poles to travel. It is possible to traverse all of Sinnoh in a single night on the back of a Magnezone; indeed, being able to travel from town to town in one's sleep accounts for much of their popularity. In Unova, it is somewhat more difficult, for Chargestone Cave is not centrally located and the navigation aid it offers gives out in the vicinity of Nacrene City, but they remain useful for traversing much of the region.

Magnezone are nearly perfect discs in shape, and were it not for their strong magnetism, riders would fall off instantly. Steel pokemon which battle them find themselves unwillingly attached to these pokemon, and although humans are not made of metal, they can clothe themselves in armor to make magnetism work the same way. A Magnezone rider wearing armor can never fall off their pokemon, but must order their Magnezone to eject them, and even children can ride these fused, electromagnetic creatures with ease.

The Magnet Train which connects Kanto and Johto replicates the concept behind Sinnoh's Magnezone transportation, but must rely on artificial magnets instead of a magnetic pole and is therefore restricted to a single route. Magnezone can traverse this railroad as easily as trains do, and are often used by maintenance workers to travel quickly along the track when the Magnet Train is out of service.


	463. Lickilicky

A large variety of pokemon possess some sort of paralyzing agent in their saliva or on their tongue, for it is a beneficial and fairly obvious survival strategy. Paralyzing one's prey requires far less speed and energy than chasing it down, and immobilizes food nearly as surely as a claw to the leg – nearly, for paralysis is not always successful. Most of the pokemon which rely on this strategy are small creatures with smaller prey, for larger bodies are more resilient against all types of status inducers, whether venomous, sleep-inducing, or simply numbing. Lickilicky is the great exception.

A Lickilicky's tongue does not actually grow on evolution like the rest of the Lickitung; instead, its color darkens as it becomes coated in a powerful, numbing slime. Lickilicky typically prey on slow, lumbering beasts much larger than themselves, such as Hippowdon or Pilowsine, and take a great deal of time to finish their still-living meals; a fact which has inspired great horror in the hearts of men.

There are no reliable reports of Lickilicky eating humans, for humans are thankfully too small to make a decent meal, although this primal terror has been featured in many a myth or legend. Yet some hapless humans have contacted Lickilicky tongues, whether by accident (typically by being in the way of a hunting Lickilicky using rollout) or by heroically protecting their pokemon from this predator. In this modern era, one can avoid lifelong paralysis from such a lick if given prompt medical attention. Yet wherever Lickilicky go, wheelchairs and crutches still soon follow, for making it to a hospital or pokemon center in time is difficult enough with working legs; if the leg is licked, it is impossible on one's own.


	464. Rhyperior

The grand design of Arceus, according to theologians and pokemon masters alike, was that no pokemon be unbeatable. Although some were always more powerful than others, a myriad of tactical considerations ensured, then as now, that no single pokemon could dominate. But when Rhydon began to equip themselves with Protectors, an invincible pokemon was born.

The earliest humans, according to legend, called these creatures Rhyperior because they evolved from Rhydon and were superior to all other life on earth. Their armor-covered stone body gave them defense matched only by their attack, for their great size and sharp, drill-like horn made short work of even ground pokemon. The first Rhyperior technically had weaknesses; grass pokemon slugging away with their vines, or water pokemon using aqua jet were the only things which could dent them, and they moved in the slow, lumbering manner of all creatures of their size. But the only pokemon capable of actually defeating Rhyperior in this era were other Rhyperior, and men who had watched a menagerie of pokemon battle in admiration (for pokeballs had not yet been invented) grew bored of the sight of Rhyperior battling each other for dominance and crushing everything else underfoot.

Arceus could not eradicate a species of pokemon from the earth, for the divine must follow laws which meteors and men do not, or perhaps the concept of extinction was not yet understood when this legend began to be told. Instead, to restore balance to the world, Arceus rewrote the rules of pokemon battles. From earthquakes to solar beams, pokemon throughout the world suddenly discovered new techniques which bypassed Rhyperior's formidable armor. Rhyperior never learned to adapt to this change, and their lack of speed and weak defense against these special attacks have reduced them to a novelty in the Pokemon League.


	465. Tangrowth

The ball of vines seen in guidebooks and artwork alike to represent this pokemon is far from the most common shape of Tangrowth in the wild; it is, however, by far the easiest to draw. Tangrowth withdraw their many stems into this form against strong opponents to give themselves maximum defense in battle. But wild Tangrowth do not often battle; they spend most of their time lying in wait, disguised as the patches of tall grass which wild pokemon call home.

Tangrowth take this grassy form to lure in prey. Rattata, Bidoof, and other extremely common grass pokemon have learned to avoid them, using senses far stronger than those possessed by humans; it is rarer and often migratory pokemon, less known to Sinnoh's tall grass, on which these creatures usually leech. The prey is not killed for so long that some have proposed classifying Tangrowth as parasites, not predators; rather than eat them at once, they slowly absorb their energy.

There are two ways to detect a hidden Tangrowth. The first is to rustle them with wind, typically by riding one's bicycle past them at full speed; the many tangles these pokemon possess cause them to shake and rustle far more easily than true grass. This method is frequently used by Sinnoh pokemon trainers in search of rare pokemon, who are often ensnared by Tangrowth. The second is to attempt to cut through them, for unlike grass, Tangrowth fight back. They are the enemies of lawnmowers and Scyther, and show no mercy to either.


	466. Electivire

Electivire are fiercely territorial beasts, for they discharge a great deal of energy in the course of battle and must absorb entire thunderstorms to remain properly nourished. For most of human history, Electivire were prized for this trait, largely because they drove away pests such as Pachirisu and Pikachu which were also electric pokemon. Better yet, the zeal and appetite with which they absorbed thunderbolts protected communities near their habitat from lightning strikes and property from out-of-control forest fires.

All of this changed when humans mastered electricity, for although Electivire use the regular electric supply of power plants to raise their young, they view the items whose demand the power plants were built to serve as rivals for food every bit as menacing as a Luxray or Electrode. Even domestic Electivire will smash televisions, computers, and streetlights alike, then pull them out of the wall and charge their own internal batteries in the newly vacated outlets. For quite obvious but nonetheless tragic reasons, what remains of their wild population has been driven far from civilization, and communities which once claimed Electivire as guardians have tragically learned how dangerous it can be to play in a thunderstorm without electricity-absorbing pokemon.

Yet Electivire are a formidable species of pokemon, and the money which can be earned in pokemon tournaments has driven many to accept a significant repair bill in exchange for an increased chance of victory. Their trainers use exclusively battery-powered electronics and are careful to always keep backups and ensure these pokemon are well-fed, and they are rewarded with the lord of electric pokemon – a beast which does not faint when struck by an enemy thunderbolt, but moves quicker than ever.


	467. Magmortar

Although Magmortar are best known for the remarkable and seemingly indiscriminate destructive force of their fireballs, their cannon-like arms allow them to aim their flames with expert precision. In warfare, they were used as siege weapons, for their flames could bake even the toughest stone fortifications, and they could hit a castle's weak spot at quite a distance from the battlefield. These qualities, however, have also led Magmortar to be a favorite of arsonists and extortionists. Corrupt and unscrupulous men throughout history have made themselves very wealthy by hiring Magmortar to burn down houses, then buying the property while the house burned and using water pokemon to end the fire after the sale was completed. Others, more motivated by grudges than greed, stopped at burning the houses.

Training a Magmortar requires no shortage of time and effort, and must be done far from civilization if one wishes to avoid arrest for arson, for the volume of these pokemon's flames on their body make them prone to accidental fires even by the standards of fire-type pokemon. However, it is not necessary or even recommended to own a Magmortar in order to use one for arson, extortion, or even terrorism. Wild Magmortar live in volcanoes, which double as an excellent platform to rain down fire from the sky on hapless structures of every type built by man.

Magmortar live their lives in severe pain, which they can only alleviate by giving their fires a fuel not from their own body, one which must be taken from the outside world. For the short time free from pain that a lump of charcoal gives them, they will acquiesce to committing horrific acts of destruction – acts which almost seem justifiable when one considers that gathering fuel themselves will make them burn down far, far more.


	468. Togekiss

A great many pokemon (and indeed, people as well) fear ferocious beasts such as Gyarados and Salamence, and find their ability to fight back lessened because of their terror. But it is Togekiss who induce a fear so paralyzing that most pokemon can not even fight back. This paralysis is partially induced by electricity, in the manner which many electric pokemon fight, but even ground pokemon are not totally immune. For when any battle begins, the unimposing Togekiss will rip through the air itself, at best making it difficult to breathe and smashing one's body with a strong wind, at worst creating a mortal fear of asphyxiation in the previously courageous pokemon.

Humans who have battled Togekiss – typically for science, as these pokemon are too rare and valuable in this era to be wasted in war – agree in substance with this analysis, but often found it difficult to put into words, for the memory is nearly as terrifying as the battle. And yet, paleontologists (including the very ones who fought these horrific test battles) remind us, the Togekiss somehow all but went extinct, and millions of years later, most Togetic (a species now far less common than in the Mesozoic) still never bother to evolve.

Togekiss' air slash, however, was not designed to injure opponents with wind or scare them into not fighting back, but to kill them instantly through asphyxiation, as it once did the Kabutops and Omastar. The new megafauna of this age, among them humanity, can hold their breath long enough to survive, making the short-lived vacuums which Togekiss once used to hunt useless. Togekiss possess no other effective means to kill prey, and they eat so slowly that an unconscious pokemon will typically wake up alive before said Togekiss chews through their neck.


	469. Yanmega

The many red spheres along a Yanmega's body, frequently mistaken for segments of the exoskeleton, are in fact fully functional eyes. Although smaller in size than the two larger eyes at the pokemon's front, they are sufficiently numerous to give these creatures 360-degree vision. The greater size of a Yanmega's front eyes is actually a means to compensate for their smaller number, and Yanmega are often found using their tails to aid their relatively weak front eyes in order to get a better view of things in front of them.

A Yanmega's signal beam, like those of most pokemon who learn this technique, is fired from the eye, but a Yanmega's sixteen eyes allow them to shoot multi-colored lights from virtually any angle. This ability is particularly useful in aerial combat, where pokemon maneuver for advantage in three dimensions and a direct hit is often necessary to cancel out the weakness of this attack against flying pokemon. Yet even against grounded targets, Yanmega can use their eyes to gain much greater precision than most pokemon, and, rather than seek to hit a distant target, can aim for the eyes from afar to leave their foes unable to fight back.

A few powerful Yanmega learn to shoot light not in one direction, but in all sixteen at once, a fact which mythologies around the world have connected with the sun's rays of light. At times, the sun itself was represented as a giant Yanmega; at others, they were perceived as messengers of the sun god or goddess. Despite the beauty which drove many onlookers to this pokemon, this association was always reinforced by the danger these signal beams and the brightness of the Yanmega emanating them pose to the retina; after all, one should never look directly at the sun.


	470. Leafeon

Leafeon are usually imagined to be a peaceful pokemon, content to lie in fields and meadows and soak up the sun's rays, and must often be goaded by their trainers before they even think of engaging in pokemon battles. But this passive lifestyle allows these pokemon few opportunities to eliminate excess energy; when they take in too much sunlight, they begin to radiate a magical light of their own. In doing so, the Leafeon not only heal nearby pokemon and cause plants to grow, but make themselves an extraordinarily tempting target.

Humans, with their remarkable technology and wide variety of sources of power, pay these Leafeon little mind, but for pokemon their very presence signifies a battlefield. The healed and invigorated pokemon soon use their newfound power fight with one another over the very Leafeon energizing them both, their minds swiftly conquered by greed. The reward for victory is not capture, for pokemon can not operate pokeballs without being captured themselves - instead, they eat the leaves which these radiant Leafeon shed after their energy is depleted, and in doing so claim a portion of their awesome power. At times, the battle ends in stalemate, and the few undefeated pokemon are forced to share the leaves, often after the Leafeon has moved on.

The Leafeon themselves were once thought to be passive bystanders in the vicious combat which always surrounded them, but this is very far from the truth. Leafeon do not subsist solely on photosynthesis, but like most animal-shaped grass pokemon also absorb soil through their feet, and the soil they utilize best, especially after shedding leaves that have taken in too much energy, is soil filled with pokemon blood.


	471. Glaceon

Today, Glaceon are among the least common of Eevee's evolutions, and trainers wishing to raise one outside of the arctic circle make long pilgrimages to the few icy rocks – one in Sinnoh, one in Unova; trainers from Kanto, Johto, or Hoenn must travel much further indeed - capable of inducing this particular evolution. Wild Glaceon are extinct in these lands, although occasionally a feral one is spotted, for none of the rocks are in habitats where wild Eevee can prosper.

Cave paintings from the most recent ice age, however, portray Eevee not as evolving into one of many pokemon, but exclusively into Glaceon, as naturally as a Caterpie becomes a Metapod. The fossil record is not quite so extreme; scattered remains of Eevee's other evolutions have been found, especially in the tropics and the other few areas which avoided the glaciers. But they are so vastly outnumbered by Glaceon remains that the old cave paintings do not appear an unreasonable conclusion for prehistoric Man.

Glaceon, like Mamoswine, were a victim of climate change; the current interglacial has dramatically diminished their global range, and the only humans who train them must use special methods of evolution. Perhaps when the glaciers move again, the Glaceon will return with a vengeance, for Eevee are more popular today than ever. More likely, through global warming or an advanced human engineering effort, the next age of ice and Glaceon will never come. Instead, Glaceon will remain the exclusive preserve of those trainers who seek out the ever-decaying remnants of the glaciers of old in order to evolve their pokemon.


	472. Gliscor

Some have seen in Gliscor a ferocious foe, for they descend silently on the wind, often at night, to shoot their powerful, immobilizing poison, which coupled with their powerful pincers and tail leave many foes slain before they realize they are in a battle. Many kings and nobles of old wore capes patterned after those on which these pokemon glide, so as to evoke an image of terror to any who would seek to cross them.

Yet the capes would be more suited for the peasant guerrillas fighting against these tyrants of history, for the Gliscor fly away just as suddenly as they attack. Folklore often claims that Gliscor are physically harmed by sunlight as a means of explaining their nocturnal habits, for they function in daylight far better than most nocturnal pokemon; indeed, the winds on which they glide are far more common during the day, and Gliscor take full advantage of daylight breezes. But during the day, it is not difficult to see a Gliscor coming, and quite easy to launch an attack before it escapes.

If you are ever accosted on a dark night in a pokemon battle on which your life or something you value more than life itself depends, trainer, be very wary if your opponent appears to surrender before all their pokemon are beaten. When desperation strikes, even in official league matches (although modern rules about announcing each pokemon have reduced the frequency of this tactic) it is quite common for Gliscor trainers to feign defeat and use this pokemon's expert subterfuge to claim a treacherous victory.


	473. Mamoswine

The stories were found in virtually every nation where the ice was deep and didn't melt. They were old enough for their origins to be forgotten, but picked up in popularity from time to time, usually in response to social change; a person, frozen in ice for decades or centuries, wakes up and is shocked by how the world had changed around them. And even allowing for the remarkable capacity of both the human brain and of human societal revolutions, none of the protagonists of these tales could be nearly as shocked as the Mamoswine who inspired them, who came from a time when ice covered most of the land and humans had yet to conquer the wilderness.

Modern pokemon have acquired a respect for Man's power, having learned the hard way to avoid provoking them and to stay away, lest they risk capture – or worse. Extinct pokemon such as Shieldon or Cranidos are revived in modern laboratory conditions and handled with special care, and their descendants – wild or feral – soon adapt to the modern ways. But in Mamoswine's time, humans were not yet apex predators, and a whole band of them, with only arrows or stones as weapons, was typically unable to take a single Mamoswine down.

The Mamoswine who have thawed out, a small trickle throughout human history, maintain all their memories, including their perception of humans. Typically, they have caused great devastation before being hauled down and either killed or transported far into the wilderness – less out of compassion than because before gunpowder, their thick hides made it very difficult for humans to kill even an unconscious Mamoswine.


	474. Porygon-Z

The software by which Porygon-Z were first created – the so-called "dubious" disc – was a program riddled with errors. The first version of Porygon-Z not only broke down frequently, but their behavior was extremely erratic, and they would sooner attempt to delete the world economy and instigate nuclear war than explore any truly alien dimensions. Part of this could be attributed to simple shoddy programming; Bill may be a legend, but he is also a man who infamously managed to turn himself into a pokemon. But even once his most dangerous bugs were fixed by his more competent colleagues, others were constantly discovered; the Porygon-Z project, or at least its funding from the League, seemed destined for cancellation.

In desperation, the scientists behind the Porygon-Z project decided to release this new pokemon's entire source code to the public, in the hopes that mass enthusiasm for this pokemon's intended mission would inspire people to debug this pokemon. Bug-fixing was done only in bits and pieces, only as much as necessary to make the pokemon perform whatever new task had been dreamed up. Indeed, new bugs were frequently created by the unpredictability of Porygon-Z's artificial intelligence and the errors of neophyte coders, and a couple villains attempted to replicate the brief chaos the original Porygon-Z caused to no avail.

Instead, it was the ability to customize Porygon-Z which inspired the masses, for the ability to play Arceus has tapped mankind's creative energy like nothing since writing was developed from the Unown. Today, anyone with a Porygon-Z and an internet connection can not only use these pokemon to play video games and choose between more skins than all the possible transformations of Ditto, but can also download countless techniques which let them adapt on the fly to nearly any opponent in battles.


	475. Gallade

Gallade are often called the warrior pokemon, and not only because they have swords for arms and a head resembling soldiers' helmets of old; back when men fought with sword, shield, and only a few species of domesticated pokemon, Gallade were prized as mercenaries. While most trained pokemon would seek to disrupt the battle to their side's advantage through use of the elements, Gallade fought side by side with the humans who made up the bulk of ancient armies – but their speed and psychic powers made them far more effective.

These pokemon had not yet been truly domesticated, for this was long before the invention of the pokeball, but wild Gallade sought out battles for pride and glory, and countless wars from Greece to Ransei saw Gallade participate on both sides. When a conflict ended, Gallade rarely stayed by the victor's side to rule, but took their payment – typically in rare candies and vitamins – and left to find their next conflict, each seeking only to become acknowledged as the strongest warrior in the land.

History records the abundant presence of both Gallade and Dawn Stones throughout all of Ralts and Kirlia's natural habitat, and nowhere moreso than Hoenn. But Gallade in these lands have driven themselves to extinction, the Dawn Stones they used to evolve extinguished through overuse or destroyed in warfare. Only in Sinnoh, sparsely populated for most of its history and relatively peaceful once unified, do these stones – and the Gallade they create – still exist in numbers.


	476. Probopass

There are countless more practical methods for a trainer or other traveler to avoid getting lost than by bringing a Probopass with them. Probopass are powerful with the proper comrades, but few trainers wish to build a team around a pokemon included primarily to point north. Nor can they be used as a general-purpose travel aid like Bibarel or Tropius; apart from finding one's way, they are useful only for moving large obstacles such as boulders. Before the invention of pokeballs, this obstacle was even more formidable; Probopass can propel themselves somewhat with magnetism, but they move so slowly that typically a strong pokemon or a vehicle must carry them.

Yet for much of history, merchants and sailors had no better option. Probopass are perfect, natural compasses, far more reliable for navigation than the sun or stars. With one end pointed to Mount Coronet, they do not quite reach the north pole, but mathematics has adjusted for the difference and Sinnoh-bound travelers rarely even needed to use that math. Their water weakness is of little consequence, for an unconscious Probopass is as magnetic as a conscious one, but if they are ever knocked overboard they will sink like most other rocks to the bottom of the sea.

Probopass accompanied sailors on ships for centuries, but at the dawn of the scientific age, men discovered how these pokemon worked and figured out how to replicate the important parts into a much smaller device, which they named a "compass" - a contraction of the phrase "compact Probopass." Being far cheaper to maintain and lighter to transport, the compasses quickly replaced their pokemon inspiration on sea and soon spread to journeys taken on land.

The Probopass, for their part, are content to find themselves new paths, paths which do not require humanity.


	477. Dusknoir

Dusknoir have long been renowned for being able to withstand countless attacks before being knocked out, for they carry more souls at a time than Spiritomb. These souls, however, are not their own; the reaper cloth which makes Dusclops evolve carries with it the sacred duty to ferry souls to the underworld, and even trained Dusknoir will never shirk this obligation.

Dusknoir do not, however, feel any responsibility to complete this task in a timely manner, reasoning that if a soul could spend decades on earth it can wait a few days or weeks to reach the afterlife. Dusknoir's roundish shape is the result of carrying so many souls at a time, and no one has ever seen a thin Dusknoir, for the souls are never released all at once. Humans and pokemon alike are reluctant to disturb those involved in the journey of souls to the next life, and Dusknoir soon realized that if they were always involved in said journey, then they could become untouchable.

Yet all make an exception to this rule when in the confines of a pokemon battle, reasoning that any Dusknoir willing to enter one has renounced its traditional immunity, and Dusknoir are fiercely competitive and despise losing. Before major matches, a Dusknoir will accumulate even more souls than usual, and use the power of assembled souls to protect themselves from most types of harm. There is thankfully no risk to the souls involved; at worst, a particularly strong attack will eject them, leaving them to typically drift around the battlefield until the Dusknoir scoops them up again and resumes the fight. However, a few spirits unwilling to depart have used this opportunity to escape and remain in this world as ghosts for as long as they can avoid Dusknoir and exorcisms.


	478. Froslass

It is said that deep in the subways of Unova, where elite trainers gather for challenges which dwarf even the League championship in difficulty, there is a train haunted by a menacing Froslass. Some say the Froslass carries the spirit of the greatest of trainers, who set the record for successive wins and has returned from the dead to defend their title. Others claim the opposite; that it was the ghost of a trainer who never made it far, or a pokemon discarded for being too weak, and seeks to throw a wrench into the plans of the greats as a form of revenge.

Admittedly, no pokemon is invincible, but this Froslass is among the most formidable of foes. Its ice attacks are said to be so cold they bring the train itself to a halt, throwing pokemon used to that inertia headfirst into the walls; against trainers who love birds, dragons, plants, and ground-types (or worse, pokemon like Garchomp or Torterra who combine those categories) the ice itself is just as deadly. Their speed is second to few, and if damaged and faster they unleash a fearsome destiny bond which will carry their foe's soul with them away from the battle.

The trainer of these Froslass – typically a beautiful young woman, wearing the uniform of a Lass – is a phantasm these pokemon create, for wild pokemon would strictly speaking be disqualified after the subway. Many trainers wish to speak with them after the match, either to talk tactics or simply drawn by their beauty, only to watch them slowly fade away. The Froslass's teammates, however (if they must be used, for Froslass often win alone) are not illusions but extremely powerful pokemon in their own right, typically veterans of the battle subway who outlived their trainer.


	479. Rotom

Rotom are capable of possessing any device which runs on electricity, and although they are best known for haunting televisions, they have received a great deal of attention from the video gaming community with their occasional penchant to possess consoles and handhelds alike. A Rotom's presence in these systems prevents other games from being recognized; instead, the game system will play a single, bizarre game of the Rotom's own devising.

The games differ from Rotom to Rotom, at times taking inspiration from existing titles (most often those their haunting interrupted) but Rotom are creative pokemon who are just as capable of using board, card,or dice games to build their strange universes. The graphics these Rotom create are impressive, often using capabilities otherwise impossible for the system, and the games themselves are noted as much for their extreme difficulty as for their often disturbing storylines. Most gamers who encounter these games attempt to play them, although the lack of any walkthroughs or strategy guides combine with the bizarre rules the Rotom devise to create a mighty challenge.

With enough time and practice, virtually any game is beatable, and a Rotom will only cease to haunt a system once the game they created is finally defeated. The Rotom is then captured as surely as it would be by a pokeball, and other games can finally be resumed.

Those gamers bored by the challenge of a Rotom-possessed game, or who give up in frustration or can not wait to play other titles, soon find that their systems sell for more than when they bought them. Not only is catching a Rotom through battle even harder than catching one through video gaming, but many gaming enthusiasts are willing to spend vast sums to play the challenging games which only a Rotom can provide.


	480. Uxie

Uxie is worshiped throughout Sinnoh as a god of knowledge, its gold and gray color supposedly representative of paper, whether new or old and decaying. This is a re-purposing in which one minor aspect of this ancient deity was elevated above all others by a changing era, in order to preserve a faith while shedding major tenets which had become viewed as abhorrent. For back before the revolution, in the age of opulent nobles, chiefs, and kings, Uxie was a god of merchants and indeed of greed, its original colors lost for it had bathed so long in silver and gold.

Yet as Uxie's cult changed so dramatically, there was no divine wrath from Lake Acuity, where Uxie sleeps, and a stubborn few who held to the old teachings began to wonder if this meant that Uxie itself had died. In an expedition motivated as much by rumors of great treasure as by concern for their god's health (for breaching the shrine was itself heresy) they dove into Uxie's cave, disturbed its deep slumber, but found neither the hoard of gold preached in ancient times nor the great library which was now supposed to rest beneath the waves.

What they did find was a tiny pixie of a god – far smaller than the depictions of old, but otherwise recognizable – levitating in midair. Unlike the overwhelming majority of those who disturb the gods, they suffered no divine wrath, for Uxie knew their hearts and approved of their curiosity and even their greed. Each member of this expedition would become a remarkable polymath when they surfaced, and their theological views had reversed completely: steadfast believers that Uxie stood for greed became the most fervent advocates of the view, which they once thought heretical, that Uxie was a god of knowledge.


	481. Mesprit

Mesprit is typically depicted solely as the origin of human emotions, for pokemon emotions, although always acknowledged, have typically been viewed as something fundamentally different. But this is an error born of the weaknesses of human comprehension, for it is precisely those few chosen by Mesprit who have learned to master the emotions of pokemon.

It is not known why Mesprit has chosen certain individuals – great trainers all – as its champions. Mesprit's priesthood has typically chosen to identify it in it trainers selected for their kindness and compassion, but Mesprit are also the gods of negative emotions, and some people infamous for a ferocious temperament and for ordering their pokemon to rampage have likewise claimed Mesprit's blessing. All that can be said for certain is that those Mesprit blesses combine powerful, unchained emotions with a supreme understanding of their pokemon comrades; many (but not all) are even said to speak fluently in the languages of pokemon.

It is not known whether pokemon can also receive Mesprit's blessing – our language is said to be the sole province of humans and the gods - but speculation abounds. From psychics whose telepathy was a little too easily confused for speech to shapeshifters and ghosts and the strange legend of a talking Meowth in the employ of Team Rocket, people have sought a divine explanation for pokemon who seemed more at ease in the midst of civilization than the tall grass or the confines of a pokeball. If these tales are false (and some surely are, although others even theologians take seriously) then perhaps it is simply a human attempt to bring order to the chaos of blurred divisions, or perhaps people, wishing to believe their own lives remarkable, eagerly believe in their own distant connections to the divine.


	482. Azelf

It is not the stubborn and the diligent who pray to Azelf or indeed any other gods; when they run into difficulty, they seek to overcome it through raw determination alone. Azelf is a god rarely thanked, but often pleaded to, and yet those Azelf is said to favor accomplish so much that some consider them the strongest of the gods.

Inborn talent and hereditary position can offer a great deal in life, but pokemon is the great equalizer. Never has there been a master who lacked that ultimate drive to become the greatest, for the top pokemon trainers spend so long training, practicing, strategizing, and studying the battles of old. A few genuises rise quickly through the ranks, but most are beaten down by failure so many times that a lesser man (some say a sane man) would give up long before reaching the League.

The most famous legend of Azelf is that of its own creation. It appeared before its companions, who were created as a blessing for humanity; indeed, before most of the gods. The work of creation was an extremely long process; theologians may debate when Arceus began shaping a planet into the world we know, but if this god indeed created every pokemon, the work must have taken around five hundred million years. Faced with such a painstaking, enormous task, Arceus felt its own will to create suffering, so it poured every ounce of determination it had ever possessed into a single pokemon to create a god of willpower; with Azelf and its power to instill determination beside it, Arceus never wavered again.

Some have doubted the accuracy of this tale, but rest assured: it is more true than any other story men have told about the gods!


	483. Dialga

They ascend Mount Coronet to petition Dialga nearly daily, each with a different face and wishing to return to a different point in time. Some come out of regret, for they ruined their happiness, or their life, or the life of another, and wish to traverse time to stop themselves. Others are elderly or sick, and come out of nostalgia and the fear of death; if they must only have so many years on earth, could Dialga at least let them experience it in multiple ways? Most cry, and beg, and pray, and have Dialga to look upon their sorrows; a few, out of arrogance, determination, belief in their own talent, or genuine pokemon mastery, attempt to force its hand with advanced types of pokeball.

The steel dragon god indeed sends them back in time, but not nearly as far as they wanted. Those who make the pilgrimage to Spear Pillar typically find it ending with a loud roar, then awaken not long before they began their journey. Dialga will not grant their true wish, even when it sympathizes, for it knows how much travel into the past can damage the fabric of reality. Instead, it blasts them a short distance, so as to at least not cause them to waste their finite time. Dialga has made exceptions in the past, in timelines only it knows, but only when the cause of those regrets imperiled the world itself.

There are a few who come to Dialga with the opposite wish: to travel into the future. Some are great rulers or scientists, wishing to see where their deeds will lead humanity; others are science fiction enthusiasts, or curious and bored by their own era. Dialga is a kind pokemon, and faced with no paradox, grants these wishes without fail.


	484. Palkia

Palkia has long been worshiped by travelers and those with loved ones vast distances away, for it can manipulate space at will; it teleports across continents like an Abra travels from city to city. Even its most devout priests were always jealous of its power, but to no avail; any trainer who sought to capture it soon found it more frustrating a target than the legendary beasts. But when a single sacrilegious hero took Palkia by surprise and thrust a gigantic spear into its shoulder, its enormous pearl was knocked to the ground and pokemon training was changed forever.

The pearl of Palkia is today kept in an enormous computer laboratory in Kanto, and is often said to be the glue which holds the internet together. This is not entirely true; the ability to network computers had existed before, although undoubtedly Palkia's pearl gave an edge to anyone seeking to span the world. But the internet, despite its myriad of games, forums, and videos, is best known for the Global Trade System which allows pokemon themselves to be transported from Unova to Sinnoh in under a minute, and this system can only be powered by Palkia's holy pearl.

Many legends tell of divine relics being cursed in some fearsome way, but the Global Trade System, which connects space together as only Palkia can, has a far more modest curse. Whether motivated by greed, stupidity, or Palkia's own wrathful spirit, the search engine of the Global Trade System is clogged by people demanding gods, often at levels they have long since surpassed, in exchange for common pokemon. This curse has yet to kill anyone, for those who make such offers are protected by pseudonyms and distance, but it has driven many individuals seeking favorite pokemon to a frustration which approaches madness.


	485. Heatran

Given its geographical location, the island north of Sinnoh which hosts the Battle Frontier ought to be a frozen wasteland. This is indeed true of much of the island, but living at its southern tip, packed around Stark Mountain, are a small population of humans and a remarkable diversity of pokemon. These people worship Heatran as a god, and it is difficult to say that they are wrong to do so.

This worship originates in the fact that Heatran, not the volcano turned active by its presence, is what warms the island; whenever Heatran exits its Stark Mountain home to battle alongside the Tower Tycoon, the volcano begins to cool and the Tower's air conditioning must kick into overdrive. Some have seen in this friendly relationship with humanity, to the point of willingly entering the pokeball of whoever is currently Tower Tycoon, proof that Heatran is something less than a god. Yet Heatran must allow itself to be tied to a pokeball: should it ever be captured by an outsider and taken from its homeland, Stark Mountain would soon freeze over and its people would be forced into exile.

Heatran, after all, is a local deity, perhaps more local than anywhere else in the pokemon world, and that locale is Stark Mountain and the surrounding community. Because Stark Mountain's Battle Frontier draws trainers from far and wide, it is only natural for its own guardian deity to challenge the strongest competitors. The soil of this island has degenerated from times of old, leaving only the tourism of elite pokemon trainers to sustain this island's people, so Heatran has pressed itself into service.

Heatran is sometimes thought of as male, and other times as female, but never as genderless, for the people living around Stark Mountain are all his or her children.


	486. Regigigas

It is often repeated that Regigigas built Regice, Registeel, and Regirock, and the people repeating this statement mean it as proof that only the gods, not ancient peoples, could create such marvelous automatons. But this argument displays a certain lack of knowledge of Regigigas itself, for this pokemon and the civilization which built it are often considered to be one and the same.

The way that a small, isolated community with centuries of history converted itself into a single pokemon remains unknown. Some suspect Regigigas was the product of a massive human sacrifice, for its creators, defeated in war, disappeared soon after its creation; others say its massive size holds the souls of everyone who has ever lived on that mountain, or is the moving armor of its last, undying king. But the association is as old as Regigigas itself, and has been accepted by all of Mount Coronet's neighbors and conquerors. This is partially because the plant which grows on Regigigas was domesticated by the people living there and considered a local delicacy, but the knowledge of how to raise it has been lost everywhere except on Regigigas itself. Moreover, the black stripes covering this pokemon, in conjunction with its six lights, read out messages in their complex forgotten script. It is said that should any lost communities survive from that ancient nation, or (more likely in this era) any archaeologist learn to decipher their texts, Regigigas would be able to communicate as many concepts as human writing.

Regigigas retains hope that someone somewhere has learned the ancient ways which it was created to preserve, and begins every battle by "speaking" a series of messages and fighting only halfheartedly; only when it realizes its foe's lack of understanding does this forgotten automaton of a god unleash its true power.


	487. Giratina

I confess that even I can not separate fact from fiction about the distortion world where Giratina reigns, or indeed about the awful ghost-dragon who is often called its king. That it is inhabited can be fairly surmised, if only by the letters carried on Drifloon, but even this fact is not unquestioned, for some who claim to have fallen into that world claim it was a wasteland bereft of life. It is said by some to defy all laws of nature; its architecture often levitates, the blue and purple found everywhere superficially represents the night sky, yet it permeates into dark caves and dwellings with windows closed, where the color of the sky has no meaning.

This world is Giratina's creation, or Giratina itself, or a prison constructed by Arceus, for Giratina was a mad beast which destroyed nearly everything it touched. Those who believe Giratina takes physical form dispute its appearance; both camps see a grey colossus of a dragon wrapped in golden bones, but the shape of its wings and whether it has legs or tentacles remain the subject of bitter arguments among its own followers. For there are many who have reasoned that if Giratina created a world, it must be Arceus' equal, although others dispute this idea. And some eccentrics have taken it a step further, claiming that Giratina is Arceus' rival, and that Arceus has failed the world, so Giratina must be summoned to our own.

Giratina's cult is often described as organized madness, and many of their grisly rituals are too horrible to print here, for the details themselves have driven men to their side. But their goal is even crueler than their sacrifices, for should they succeed, the distortion world and our own would become one.


	488. Cresselia

It is said that Cresselia is locked in a cosmic struggle with Darkrai, and that towards the end of every lunar month, with her last dying gasps of strength, she sacrifices herself in a magical and fatal dance so that Jirachi and the Sun can drive away the darkness. It is this cycle of death and rebirth which gives the most life to her cult, which mourns on a monthly basis when the moon wanes to nothing, then celebrates when a crescent appears anew.

Some of Cresselia's followers, whipped into a selfless frenzy by prayer, or hoping to save loved ones from illness or critical injuries, attempt to perform the Lunar Dance as well. Although it is re-enacted every month in this pokemon's temples, only Cresselia can perform the lunar dance properly; these re-enactors are not injured, and many cynical priests have considered it lucky that Cresselia did not use a fang, gun, or sword!

Yet Cresselia is seen as the Earth's protector even when alive, although her followers rarely pay it any heed until the holidays which mark her death; in their defense, while the holidays of other faiths come once a year, the festival of her sacrifice happens monthly. She is said to wrap the world in a giant, cosmic Reflect and Light Screen which together protect the earth from asteroids, ultraviolet rays, and other potential cataclysms from the stars. Before modern astronomy, this was taken literally; artists and theologians alike portrayed the world as protected by Cresselia's brilliant, looping pink wings, as though Earth was a ringed planet. Today, Cresselia's followers typically associate these screens with the atmosphere and the moon's gravity, which do protect our world from asteroids and meteors, and fear catastrophe only during the time of the new moon.


	489. Phione

Arceus created the gods immortal and infertile, for their absence or multiplication alike would throw the world into chaos, and most of the gods accepted this burden. Manaphy alone among them sought children, and coupled with a Ditto to produce the first Phione; a smaller, weaker creature which can never evolve into its fabled ancestor, but uniquely among living things, carries within it the blood of the divine.

Phione's holy ancestry is shown in the magical dew these pokemon create. Although it can not raise the dead like Ho-oh's sacred ash, it is also not nearly as rare; with the evolutionary fitness of a god's genetics, these pokemon have filled the tropical oceans they call home and their dew is freely given to all who ask, although the small amount an individual can provide does prolong the harvesting process. Phione dew is the energy which fuels the mysterious machines so common at every pokemon center and is the primary ingredient in Full Restores, for it can heal virtually any injury among the living.

Phione's healing dew, which has extended the lifespans and quality of life in so many pokemon, has no effect when applied to human beings. Some say this is because of humanity's unique biological structure; Man, after all, is also the only intelligent species which can not be tamed in a pokeball. But others have seen in this fact an expression of Manaphy's will. The gods, according to some legends, were not banned for breeding for fear of multiple gods of the same attribute, but for fear that their children, not mankind, would dominate the world.

Manaphy is today worshiped in some parts of the world, but others still tell the story that it modified the healing powers of its children to exclude humanity solely out of spite.


	490. Manaphy

That Manaphy is able to take human form, or even to copy a specific human, is not particularly unusual; this ability is documented among the gods in Latias and Mew, and is likely shared by others as well. But Manaphy transforms not by copying, but by quite literally swapping their consciousness with another living thing. Being chosen as Manaphy's disguise is the only known way for humans to inhabit a pokemon body, and those who have experienced it have found it a fascinating opportunity for both understanding the natural world and briefly obtaining unparalleled power.

Manaphy is a god of water, and its body contains a remarkable ability to manipulate anything composed of water vapor or liquid water, from clouds to the entire ocean. When gifted with this power, those whose hearts are swapped with Manaphy quickly take advantage of the abilities of their borrowed form. Some do so benevolently, putting on beautiful displays of pokemon-shaped clouds or carrying rain and irrigation to where it is desperately needed, but even they often cause tragedy when they find the world's water difficult to control.

But water can be an extremely destructive force, and there are countless individuals who would use the power of the gods for vengeance. Flash floods and tsunamis abound when Manaphy swaps hearts with the wrong human, and many bizarre reports single individuals being targeted by massive storms, waves, or even hands of water reaching up from lakes or rivers also correlate with these periods. Perhaps it is best that only pokemon – even a spiteful and occasionally violent one like Manaphy – are given the power of the divine, for humanity can not be trusted with such awesome power.


	491. Darkrai

Darkrai has played the villain in much of the world's mythology, for it is a god of darkness who induces nightmares. More often than not, it is seen as a villainous megalomaniac who wishes to shroud the world in darkness, which is meant metaphorically and literally; a world without sunlight where evil deeds reign free. It does induce nightmares, but deals them equally to all, for it loves to see innocents tormented as they sleep.

Yet in the land of Sinnoh, a small, secretive group gives prayers and offerings to Darkrai, who they see in a very different light. It is a god of nightmares, but inflicts them only on the wicked, and does so not out of malice but to encourage villains to repent so they can once again sleep soundly at night. It is also seen as god of the dead, for death has often been called eternal sleep. They reject reincarnation or an afterlife, but believe in an eternal slumber. To them, it is Darkrai who judges the dead, leaving some of them to dream pleasantly and punishing others with eternal nightmares. To them, Darkrai is a god of justice, and its draconian punishments are seen as necessary to preserve order in society and keep evil at bay.

Few individuals have paused to understand the theology of this group, and most instantly consider them cultists or horrible villains because of the identity of their god. Although many gods and shrines coexist peacefully in Sinnoh, Darkrai's faith has been persecuted by them all; their temples were burned, their congregations forced at swordpoint to renounce their god. Today, their services are held in the underground beneath the isolated island Darkrai calls home, and they remain steadfast in their belief that Darkrai will reward their righteousness and punish their persecutors.


	492. Shaymin

It is said that there was once a great king in Sinnoh whose ambition could never be satiated. Although he had inherited a vast kingdom, he saw the riches of the rest of the world, and became overcome with greed. He taxed his people into poverty and waged constant warfare, building a vast empire but leaving his people in ruins. But when marching his army south to invade Almia, this king saw a Shaymin, and wept in gratitude for everything he had been given, from the loyalty to his men to the wealth of his treasury; only then was he finally satisfied.

Some say the worshipers of Shaymin are still grateful for this particular incident, for by swaying a king's heart it had saved a generation from tyranny. But Shaymin itself has the power to induce gratitude, and there are reports of it being thanked for fine harvests and peaceful days long before this king reached the throne. And this story of the king of Sinnoh has been echoed time and time again – from cruel monopolists to great pokemon trainers who treated their pokemon as tools, people in every era have been inspired to change after witnessing a Shaymin and thanked that pokemon for everything they had.

And there is much to thank Shaymin for. This era is one of peace and prosperity, where people have ample food, no war, and the freedom to pursue their dreams. It is, to be sure, usually a dream of pokemon mastery, but there are many other things people strive for in life. It is perhaps excessive to credit all anyone has to Shaymin, but there is something to be said for a god that is not begged for miracles, but thanked for one's own happiness.


	493. Arceus

I am Arceus, the omega of Sinnoh, creator of the world. I birthed Mew from an egg, Earth from another, and the heavens from a third. I have written this tome to store for posterity the world's lore, both in legends and truths about the pokemon, lest they be forgotten in this era where everyone strives to be not a scholar but a master. There is much that the pokedex of the professors leaves out, from brevity, human error and an emphasis on only what they think to be confirmed scientific facts. I do not wish to settle the age-old arguments of Man, although I know the answers, for I believe their disputes can be far more interesting than the truth.

Yet I am not a god like many the humans have imagined, a god who simply sits back and smiles when their creation is done. I have never stopped creating or tweaking what I have made, and the world is always growing, for I merge my projects into this world when I think them complete enough to encounter it, then rewrite the past so that they have always existed.

Although I thought I had finished this mighty task when I revealed my home in Sinnoh, the human appetite for discovery inspired me to create even more. I sacrificed my position at the end of the Pokedex to create a new land across the sea. And there is much about Unova to chronicle, and of Kalos as well, and any lands which I have yet to reveal to you – for do not think that Kalos is the end of my creation!

I hope that you continue to read this pokedex, for there is so much left to discover.

* * *

I had the idea of writing Arceus' entry in the first person kicking around since mid-Kanto, but hesitated when Gen V was announced because I thought of it as the conclusion. Didn't actually write this until chronologically between Zangoose and Seviper. I hope it doesn't contradict too many earlier entries – I think I used "we" a few times to refer to humanity. If you find entries which contradict this one, point them out and I'll edit them; I like this idea too much to pass it up.

Also, this concludes Sinnoh's pokedex, and again I'd like to thank everyone who helped me with editing, ideas, and motivating me along the way. See you in Unova.


	494. Victini

Although Victini has been called a sun god, it is better understood as a backup power supply. Victini is a living fusion reactor, capable of controlling the pace of its fusion; should the sun ever be extinguished, it possesses sufficient energy to warm and light the earth for long enough to allow Arceus to build a new sun or tow into position another star. Yet to give any creature such immense energy is to endow it with unique, unparalleled attacks and remarkable ability in combat, and for this reason Victini is also called the god of victory.

Prayer to this god of victory, however, has failed to make anyone invincible, for Victini never smiles on an individual permanently, but capriciously shifts its favor time and time again. No matter how hard one trains their pokemon, no trainer can ever ensure themselves a championship, only improve their odds, and for many the frustrations of defeat gave rise to greed. Victini's fusion energy has seen it become as much a target as a god; pokemon trainers have struggled sought time and time again to capture this creature, for Victini is said to guarantee victory in every match.

Victini has gone into hiding on an isolated island, not out of fear of being captured, but because it had grown bored of being constantly challenged. Trainers, blinded by the prospect of becoming invincible, have unfailingly overlooked the corollary to Victini's guarantee of victory; it can never be truly captured, for to capture a pokemon is to defeat it! Only those who sought to use Victini's power to protect the world, not to rule it or use it as a source of personal greatness, have ever held this creature within a pokeball; in these rare instances, Victini was captured only because it threw the match.


	495. Snivy

There is some truth in the old story that Snivy were so smug they went extinct. According to the traditional tale, no matter what hardship they faced, Snivy responded only with arrogance, confident that they could not be defeated. They would fight back against predators that they could easily escape; when tall grass was cut down and used for agriculture, they would return to the same spot, uncaring that they had no camouflage in open fields, and became an easy target. And to make matters worse, the very contempt and arrogance with which they treated potential threats saw said threats crush said Snivy just to illustrate their superior strength.

This story is true only if one recognizes that words like "predators" and "threats" in this context refer exclusively to mankind. In the wild, Snivy's arrogance is actually a defense mechanism; most predators will seek easier prey when faced with such supreme confidence, never realizing it to be a bluff. Humans, however, find nothing to be quite as terrifying as having their mastery of the Earth challenged, and have therefore considered Snivy for most of their history to be a particularly obnoxious species of weed, a relic of the wilderness which stubbornly refused to be cleared away for the march of civilization.

Yet within the previous century, the prospect of such beloved pokemon as Braviary disappearing saw the issue of pokemon extinction enter Unova's national consciousness. It was too late to save the wild Snivy, but this proud species of pokemon survives in many pokeballs and research labs. Some pokemon professors have controversially used the Snivy as a challenge for neophyte trainers, reasoning that if they could learn to tame their Snivy, they would become able to tame any pokemon.


	496. Servine

Servine's legs are often considered to be a symbol of innocence, for other snakes, such as Ekans and Seviper, must spend their whole lives slithering low to the ground to hide from prey, and Servine too lose their legs when fully evolved. But Servine are grass pokemon, capable of photosynthesizing their food, and their green color allows them to easily hide themselves from predators in tall grass; their lives in the wild were an idyllic Eden, free from the cruelties of the wild and of civilization.

Servine are said to remain in this form until they commit a single act of evil, at which point they evolve into Serperior, but Arceus (or in some tellings the swords of justice) steals their legs as punishment. The evil need not be horrific, and can be as simple as challenging an unwilling pokemon to battle, or eating with one's mouth instead of subsisting on sunlight. The stringent moral codes demanded to maintain their legs were difficult to uphold, and the power of full evolution – even a legless one – has always been a temptation in itself.

Some have seen in Servine's life cycle a metaphor for the corruption of adulthood, for human children are thought to live wholly innocent lives. But in truth, human children are often unkind, and a few remarkable human adults live lives wholly free of wrongdoing; it is the societies and cultures humanity has built, not their own biology, which ensure that few human individuals reach their final stage without harming anyone else.


	497. Serperior

Against stronger opponents, Serperior seem to tap reservoirs of unknown potential, while against weaker opponents they seem to go easy on their foes and lose as much as they win. Some have sought to explain this by considering Serperior arrogant creatures who rarely give their best effort in battle, while others have suggested that, much as Ditto copy a pokemon's form, Serperior copy a pokemon's skill level and match it with their own before every battle. The former is an explanation born of frustration with their smug demeanor, with little factual basis, but the latter explanation, although not true in a literal sense – statistical readers show their ability unchanged – is fairly close to the truth. (There is, however, no truth behind the rumor that the Battle Tower and Subway use Serperior to match pokemon levels; whatever method they use is known only to their masters.)

Serperior's performance in combat is much to the chagrin of the trainers who attempt to use them, many of whom sent their Serperior out only at the highest levels of competitions, only to be humiliated on an enormous, public stage by their pokemon's lack of effort. But a few trainers, rather than relegating them to pet-hood, were determined not to let the effort spent training them go to waste; instead, they made them training assistants for their other pokemon, a role at which Serperior excel. Serperior win often enough to be challenging, even against pokemon stronger than any in one's locale, but lose often enough to give even the weakest foes valuable experience without discouraging them.

In this fiercely competitive world, some have thought it nice to know that there is one species of pokemon which cares less for winning as often as possible than it does for the love of the game.


	498. Tepig

Tepig can not truly be said to be extinct in the wild, for the term "extinct" implies that they were ever extant there in the first place. These pokemon descend not from some fiercer, wild equivalent species, but are the result of Unovan farmers crossbreeding Grumpig with a variety of fire pokemon over a period of many generations, until they succeeded at creating a fire type pokemon which produced a Grumpig-like meat.

Grumpig meat was eaten in much of the world before the advent of the Tepig, and is still treasured in some places today, but cooking it is a long process which required a great deal of tending to fires, and could be dangerous in the era of wooden housing. Tepig meat, however, is cooked throughout the life of the pokemon (and for some time after death) by its own internal flames, and has long been popular as a meal because it has a pleasant taste and takes virtually no time to prepare; even in this era, when foods which most be cooked are often abandoned in favor of packaged foods, Tepig meat remains popular among many individuals.

Many who have prolonged experience with live Tepig, however, refuse to eat these pokemon. This is not because of their cute appearance, but their mannerisms; they are as loyal as a Snubbull, as friendly and trusting as a Growlithe. Some farmers, who had slaughtered many Tauros or Grumpig without flinching, quit raising livestock altogether after doing likewise to their Tepig awakened in them countless moral qualms. Once they quit, said farmers typically donate their remaining Tepig stock to beginner pokemon trainers, both to protect the lives of their remaining stock and because they are convinced that no one who raised a Tepig for battle would ever eat that pokemon's meat again.


	499. Pignite

It is said that the reason Pignite are both fire and fighting type is because Tepig, saved from the slaughterhouse by their trainers, are so grateful that they put everything into training for battle and evolve into a fighting pokemon. This is not quite true; only Wurmple can truly choose which way they evolve, although others such as Gloom and Eevee have some ability to impact the method of their evolution when not constrained by opportunity or their trainers' wishes. Nor do Tepig raised from birth for battle or research evolve any differently than those raised for food and later freed, although this myth may originate in the fact that the former group of Pignite are less reluctant to use fire techniques.

Travelers from Sinnoh and Hoenn have often noted that Pignite share a type resemblance with Combusken and Monferno, both of whom also evolve from pokemon customarily given to beginners, and both species are known to be among the many which took part in the prolonged crossbreeding that created Tepig from Grumpig. But this explanation for their evolution is even more difficult to accept, for Pignite are the descendants of countless generations of psychic pokemon, yet do not learn a single psychic attack!

Efforts to replace Pignite's typing with something more unique or advantageous through crossbreeding have ended uniformly in failure, for the evolution of pokemon is a mysterious thing which science is only now beginning to truly comprehend. But there remain many world travelers who suggest that should another fire pokemon ever be discovered to turn into a fighting type on evolution, that it will instantly replace the fire-type pokemon previously used in the area as a starter, despite the fact that the usage of Combusken, Monferno, and Pignite in this role developed independently of one another.


	500. Emboar

It is said that Emboar burn hot enough to heat an entire home through Unova's fierce winters. This is no longer true, if it ever was - although they were occasionally used to warm one-room dwellings, that is a task which many fire pokemon can perform, and a modern house heated by Emboar ranges from scorching hot wherever the Emboar is stationed to cool at the furthest distances from that pokemon. But this popular rumor speaks to the ease in which the flames of an Emboar's beard are spread not only to the Emboar's own fists, but to wherever fire pokemon seek an energy boost.

Fire naturally burns as long as there is fuel, and many fire pokemon provide a sort of living fuel; some portion of the body which typically lacks pain sensors and is naturally covered in an extremely flammable substance. But the fuel in Emboar's beard ignites fires to far hotter temperatures, and as long as it remains within the beard, transfers easily to other fire pokemon, who are normally burnt somewhat by other individuals' flames. It is not quite the eternal flame of Moltres, but among mortal pokemon, it is the best alternative, and many who receive these flames go so far as to adorn themselves with twigs or groom their fur in a doomed effort to create their own beards of fire.

Humans are not quite immune from such rituals, either; many beard styles in Unova's history have been interpreted as a totemic effort to grasp this pokemon's power. Even in modern times, to be on fire is to be on a winning streak, so human male athletes refuse to shave before the playoffs or major tournaments, and the thick beards of woodsmen often reflected a suppressed desire to set the whole forest alight Emboar-style.


	501. Oshawott

Oshawott are not born, as some have imagined, with a scalchop on their stomachs the moment they hatch out of their eggs, but these pokemon do treasure their weapons as if they were another part of their body. Oshawott do receive their scalchops at a very young age, which accounts for part of this belief, for young Oshawotts who have yet to receive one shy away from combat like an Abra; although because they can not teleport, they instead burrow or swim away.

When an Oshawott becomes old enough to battle, it first seeks out a wise Samurott to be their master. Whichever Samurott accepts will give them a scalchop, which serves not only as a weapon, but as proof that the Oshawott has become their student, and will proceed to train them in the fighting styles of their species. Although some Samurott will train many Oshawott in a single lifetime, and must make new scalchops constantly, it is customary to hand down one's original scalchop to one's first pupil, and many scalchops in use today are hundreds of years old.

In this era, when Oshawott's evolutionary line is unknown in the wild, these pokemon often instead call humans masters. Although many trainers will search long and far for elite Samurott in their area, and breeders often do likewise, for Samurott have a taboo about training their own children, their searches are often unsuccessful. Moreover, although pokemon trainers can rarely claim mastery of an ancient Samurott school of fighting,.they have typically learned to bring out the power of countless pokemon, and often see no reason why Oshawott should be an exception.

As hard as some Oshawott can be to train, some trainers have found it even more difficult to make a working, battle-ready scalchop with tools and human hands.


	502. Dewott

Although guidebooks on pokemon officially consider the myriad of dual-scalchop techniques used by Dewott to be identical to each other, and trainers teach their pokemon only a few counters with broad application, this approach owes more to simplicity than reality. In truth, it is impossible to prepare for every Dewott school of fighting at once, and few pokemon teams will battle a large enough number of Dewott in their lifetime to make preparing to fight each of them individually a worthwhile use of their time.

Although their fighting styles are today grouped into schools based upon which lineage of Samurott teaches them, Dewott are often forced to invent their own tactics in battles, especially as their masters have evolved into a quadrupedal form before taking any pupils, and very few wind up using their twin scalchops quite in the same way as their predecessors.

In the Sengoku era, the ways in which Dewott fought were of great interest, because of the countless wars of that age. Samurai seeking an edge on their opponents would not only try to learn to fight with two weapons, but spent long periods of time attempting to learn from Dewott how to do so effectively; some would even go so far as to trade their swords for iron fans, reasoning that Dewott's advantage came from the shape of their weapon. Yet much to their frustration, then as now few Dewott battled the same way, and therefore these warriors were forced to copy not one, but many styles in search of the most effective tactic – and few learned from the same schools of Dewott.

The tactics used for defending against Dewott today date from the wars of that era, and have often served today to obscure the many different ways that the Dewott battle.


	503. Samurott

Although today known only as a domestic species and rare outside Unova, Samurott were once ubiquitous and prized throughout Ransei. Not only were these pokemon known for the disciplined way in which they trained their Oshawott pupils, which inspired many martial arts masters, but in combat they equaled a fully armored samurai in both valor and skill. Their horns in particular were noted for being able to parry swords, and after their deaths were frequently salvaged by human warriors, typically those too poor to afford a katana. In this capacity, Samurott horns were called swords of bone, and were said to be every bit as powerful as their steel counterparts.

Once peace came to Ransei, the shoguns of that region disarmed the peasantry to prevent future rebellions, and the Samurott were victims of that policy. The wild population, already dwindling in that land, was herded into a few reserves which the shogunate could control, but these lands were poor Samurott habitat and if anything accelerated their decline. Domestic Samurott were banned outright except among the samurai aristocracy, but they had access to better weapons, so few saw the need to train them.

When the samurai class was finally abolished with the modernization of what had once been called Ransei (but since fragmented into more familiar names, such as Kanto and Johto), the decline of the Samurott caught the attention of disgruntled ex-samurai, who saw in their disappearance a metaphor for the end of their way of life. Their noble efforts were too late to save the Samurott population in what had been Ransei, but when this fact became clear, the ex-samurai turned their attention to the endangered Unova Samurott; in of the first great international efforts of the conservationist movement, they managed to preserve the Samurott species in captivity.


	504. Patrat

Patrat have often imagined themselves as perfect sentries, and were once known for standing on castle walls to keep watch in captivity, a habit they continue onto the walls of houses in more modern times. This likely harkens back to their behavior in the wild, where they constantly watch over their nests for fear of being robbed, even when they have no eggs or young to protect from predators. Few humans wanted these pokemon in that role, but the ability to keep food in their cheek pouches and go for days without eating, which they use in the wild on guard duty, has not gone unappreciated by Man.

Although well-worn paths often connected cities even in ancient times, any individual who wished to travel elsewhere would still at some point need to pass through tall grass. Even now, roads are often not completely clear of wild pokemon, and some settlements can claim no true roads at all. For a pokemon trainer, this is simply part of the challenge of their adventure, but for those who never put the time and money into raising powerful pokemon, even moving to the next town over can be a task fraught with danger – a danger which can be dramatically reduced by hiring Patrat, who require no food over the course of the journey and whose keen senses can guide the way to safety.

The invention of the Repel has caused some to question the continued viability of Patrat as guides. However, the current formulas, but require powerful pokemon to work, and Patrat come far cheaper for non-trainers than the currently available Repel and pokemon rental combinations. And should they all return to the wild, few would lack for Patrat sightings, for they remain extremely common wherever in Unova tall grass grows.


	505. Watchog

It is said that on dark nights in Unova, treasure-hunters from afar are often lured by the sight of glowing golden rings levitating in mid-air. Although some tales attribute to these rings mystical powers, such as invisibility or immortality, most hunters are lured to them by the possibility of gold. But inevitably, once they touch these mystical rings, these greedy individuals are left unconscious, bereft of whatever coins or other small trinkets they were carrying, and with a bite mark from a single, large tooth somewhere on their body – and all such travelers agree that the rings had the texture not of metal, but of fur.

These golden "rings", as most Unovans and few foreigners know, are in reality the fur of a Watchog's chest and tail. And although few humans are greedy or ignorant enough to fall for their tricks in the modern era, their advanced minds rendered them unlikely targets in the first place, and it is telling that most humans who encounter Watchog end up only robbed. After all, pokemon ranging from Purrloin to Volcarona are drawn to shiny round objects, and these creatures are rarely so lucky. They comprise most of Watchog's diet, for despite their above-average size, Watchog struggle to take down prey without the aid of subterfuge.

Insofar as humans are concerned, however, Watchog gold can be nearly as profitable as the real thing. Despite their non-metallic composition, stories abound of Unovan merchants selling rings of golden Watchog fur abroad. Even today it is used in jewelery as an affordable substitute for true gold, for even after shedding, Watchog fur never loses its luster.


	506. Lillipup

Lillipup are known for their ability to determine at a sniff if enemy pokemon are weaker or stronger, and choose whether or not to battle accordingly, an ability few pokemon share. For most of the species, this ability is a great asset which allows them to avoid battle with the few strong pokemon in the areas where they are typically born. Newborn Lillipup are noted for being especially common on the routes leading away from Nuvema Town, a location also favored by beginner trainers because of the relative weakness of the local fauna. Typically, a single Lillipup will travel Unova as it ages, in search of evenly matched opposition, and return to the Nuvema area only to lay its eggs.

Yet wild Lillipup have often been called cowardly, for rather than accepting a truly even match or battling as a slight underdog, they will only seek battle if they believe their opponent to be at least slightly weaker. Most Lillipup can at least claim to be stronger than other species of newborn pokemon at birth, but a few are too small to even claim that modicum of power. These runt Lillipup can continue to look like newborns for a period of months, for although they can find sustenance in the wild, victory in battle is a requirement for any Lillipup to grow in size and strength, and one can not be victorious in a battle that never begins.

When humans enter the picture, the equation these Lillipup use changes, for battles with human trainers offer not only victory or defeat, but capture and the prospect of growing stronger with teammates under the tutelage of a master. For this reason, they eagerly challenge human trainers to battle, and are considered to be among the easiest pokemon for beginner trainers to catch.


	507. Herdier

Herdier have often been described, in tones varying from sardonic to grateful, as walking suits of armor. This appellation does not refer to their own defenses - although their fur is reasonably tough, it does not compare to the hide of a Steelix or many other pokemon – but to their willingness to absorb even life-threatening injuries in order to protect their often undeserving trainer.

This phrase was coined in a literal sense, although today, when suits of armor are rare, it is more often understood metaphorically; it derives from the era when Herdier fought alongside men in battles. The tough hides which Herdier possess and their willingness to use them to block any sword that would otherwise strike their trainer was said to have saved as many soldiers' lives as actual armor!

The use of Herdier in battle, or even in protective roles such as bodyguards, was often criticized by ancient writers as barbaric or seen as proof of Man's unworthiness of their loyalty. But Herdier have shown humans such favor, although breeding may have played as large a role in that fact as individual choice, and for that reason, others have argued that it would be the height of ingratitude to forbid these pokemon from protecting their trainers. Although the modern world is a peaceful place, there are still many individuals alive today who are grateful for the loyalty of their living Herdier, and many more who pay visits to sites such as Lavender Tower to commemorate those Herdier who made the ultimate sacrifice for their sake.


	508. Stoutland

A Stoutland is said to be the most useful pokemon a person can use within the arctic circle. They are large enough for riding, strong enough to carry supplies for the long distances arctic peoples must often travel in search of food, and equally adept at carrying passed-out comrades, should hypothermia strike.

Although Stoutland are not considered ice type, this works to their advantage; their attacks wound ice pokemon far more effectively than ice techniques, shortening the length and risk of human injury of any conflicts with wild pokemon. Furthermore, the same thick coat of fur which allows them to survive in this climate can also warm their trainer, unlike ice pokemon, who are often so cold that they are dangerous to the touch. Indeed, when their initial bearers perish, Stoutland pelts are often used or sold as blankets, although these pelts are too heavy to be practically carried for lengthy travel.

Stoutland have long been used by the indigenous peoples of the circumpolar region, where they were originally trained, but the skills which enable them to function in the high arctic have translated remarkably well to mountain climates, and they have been utilized even in rivers and deserts. They are said to follow the flights of Articuno, at least in the many disparate lands where that legend has been placed, and to cooperate with them to rescue lost travelers which human methods fail to locate. Although initially used primarily as pack animals, their kind demeanor and endless versatility has made these pokemon equally popular as household pets, and the rise of pokemon battles has seen their evolutionary connection to the oft-beloved Herdier well-understood not only in the arctic, but around the world.


	509. Purrloin

Purrloin are natural thieves, but their reputation is as widespread as their crimes, so honest trainers have quickly grown wise to their pokemon's tricks. After every battle in which they are used, they typically request their opponents verify the possession of all their items, and will periodically check their Purrloin's fur and pokeball before leaving any city, so that stolen items (of which there are typially many) can be safely returned to the proper authorities. But many Purrloin resent this treatment almost as much as they resent losing their ill-gotten items, and it is not rare for these pokemon to sneak away in the depths of night.

Some of these Purrloin become strays, for these purple and silent pokemon are as adept at supporting themselves through petty crime as any common burglar. Others, especially those whose trainers never traveled far, simply return to the wilderness. But there are some among the Purrloin who have grown attached to human companionship, and seek out less scrupulous trainers, often in the service of organized crime.

Team Plasma was accused of many Purrloin abductions in their day, and these were often imagined as phase one in their efforts to liberate all trained pokemon – especially among those ignorant of history, for prior, far less ideologically motivated criminal gangs in Unova had been accused of the exact same thing! Although it is certainly true that Purrloin once owned by trainers were later found in possession of Team Plasma, most of these cases were defections; there is only one recorded case of a Purrloin being taken from its trainer without its consent.


	510. Liepard

Punctuation resembling the modern question mark is known in Johto long before its people knew of Liepard, or indeed of Unova at all, for there is an Unown of that shape. But the sign's meaning was not fixed; in some documents it is seen as punctuation, but not necessarily following a question, and in other texts it represents letters lost to the modern language. Only with the discovery of Liepard, and the associated usage of this mark in Unova, did this sign become fixed around the world.

A Liepard's tail bears a strong resemblance to a question mark, especially in shape, but it is just as often compared to a scythe - for despite its light, wispy appearance, it is composed of remarkably sharp fur and capable of slicing a grown man's neck in two. In the wild, Liepard use these tails to drive away pests, and occasionally to hunt, although they prefer their claws for the latter task and use their tails only when their foe is on the verge of escaping. They serve a number of roles in human hands, but their most famous in Unova is that of executioners.

Capital trials in most of Unova's history, before the modern appeals process, were held with the defendant beneath a Liepard's tail, and the guilty (and the wrongfully convicted) were executed immediately. Whatever the judge or jury said, a Liepard's decision was absolute, for no individual could be executed without its acquiescence; should the pokemon have cause to doubt the verdict, the accused would be spared. For this reason, Liepard came to represent the questions of guilt or innocence and life or death – and as few could find greater questions, the symbol for a Liepard's tail in time became used in writing to represent any question at all.


	511. Pansage

In the fast-paced, hectic environment of modern Unova, the leaves of a Pansage's head have become ubiquitous as a remedy for stress. Once, these leaves were the sole province of monks and sages, who were said to need them to protect their spirits from the worst truths of the universe. Whether this need was truly greater than that of people who faced the stresses of ordinary life was always questioned by a few contrarians, and when the sages lost their power, Pansage leaf became a commodity to be consumed by all. Pansage share these leaves gladly, and improved agricultural practices have kept up with the modern rise in demand, at least among domestic pansage; their wild counterparts, chasing the security of farms, have all but vanished from Unova's forests into pokeballs.

Yet although these leaves are never too far from any trainer's (or non-trainer's) kitchen, few pokemon will willingly taste them. When forcibly fed these leaves anyway by a misguided trainer, should the pokemon not spit them out before digestion, their body changes are characteristic with those after a frustrating defeat in battle. Although it is not unheard of for humans to be immune to something which impacts all pokemon – for instance, humans can not be confined in pokeballs – it is quite curious that a leaf loathed by all pokemon except their bearers should be so beloved by mankind.

Some have speculated this is because of humanity's evolutionary connection with the Pansage, but humans are not grass-types and other primates do not share this affection for Pansage leaves. Perhaps it is simply because humans have constructed such an artificial and challenging society that their stresses can only be relieved by this mysterious leaf, which to other pokemon recalls the sensation of a bitter defeat.


	512. Simisage

Simisage have long been described as among the wisest of the pokemon, for they combine the intelligence of a primate with the long lifespan and leisure time of a grass-type. It is through the legends surrounding this pokemon that the word 'sage', initially used to describe only plants resembling the tails or heads of Pansage and Simisage, became applied instead to the wisest of men – and yet to this day, many Unovans ignore the accumulated wisdom of generations of wise men, let alone any individual human sage, and instead seek out a Simisage to answer their dilemmas.

The advice these pokemon give is hard to receive, for Simisage are reclusive and temperamental creatures, who would just as soon swing their thorny, barbed tails at those who disturb their contemplation as give them the answer which they seek. And it is harder still to interpret, for although Simisage are extremely intelligent creatures, they are not only incapable of speaking the human tongue, but often answer with elaborate gestures which even properly deciphered are so critically lacking in specificity that their responses are as much riddle as answer.

But although opaque, Simisage are never wrong; it is simply that the wisdom of their statements is often realized only after the quandary for which they were sought as advisers has already run its course. It is said that this is why learned humans sought to accumulate the knowledge of these pokemon, yet ironically, the most renowned of all sages have learned like the Simisage to eschew the straightforward in favor of puzzling answers. There is, however, no truth to the occasional rumors of Simisage leaves growing out of their heads; this description, although at times understood today to mean humans evolve into Simisage, first appeared in print as a critical metaphor.


	513. Pansear

Berry cultivation has long been known to Unova from international trade, but has never been practiced successfully in that land. This is because of the Pansear, fire-type monkeys who not only gleefully eat berries, but fanatically incinerate any which they cannot devour. It is unknown why such a behavior developed in the Pansear, for whatever evolutionary benefit it allowed them must have been marginal at best; although a berry can be advantageous in a pokemon battle, the wanton destruction of these trees destroyed Pansear's own supply as well as those of their enemies, and they incinerate berry trees even at the risk of their own life. But the often foolhardy tenacity with which Pansear ruin berries was successful in making berry farming uneconomical at best, and life-threatening at worst; for this reason, Unova never developed an indigenous berry industry.

Most Unovan pokemon trainers, and a few devoted fruit eaters, instead rely on the so-called "Dream World" for their berries; a mysterious place where the wild Pansear of our world, who climb over and around every barrier created by man, are unable to enter. Scattered reports describe a very different species of Pansear which inhabit this land, who treat berries no differently from any other held item, although they can be taught to incinerate those held by their foes in battle.

In this urbanized era, wild Pansear are few and far between, and a few have proposed turning over portions of Unova to berry cultivation. But the memory of the Pansear looms large among farmers, even in parts of Unova which have not seen one in a hundred years, the loamy soil which berries crave has been replaced with dirt more suited to other crops, and in much of Unova, agriculture has been replaced outright by skyscrapers.


	514. Simisear

Simisear are as known for their voracious appetites as for the heat of their flames, and are not particularly large pokemon, despite devouring enough sweets to approach the weights of a Snorlax. Their digestive system uses these treats to feed their flames, and the sight of the family pet Simisear devouring bags of delicious candy while being restricted to a couple pieces in the name of their health has inspired jealousy in generations of Unovan children.

It is said that a few enterprising children, noting how even wild Simisear were often fed by the neighborhood (as much to prevent them from setting fire to their houses as from any compassion) decided to dress up in Simisear outfits in the hope of acquiring candy for themselves. Some were captured early and answered with a scolding by their own parents – one which frequently saw the Simisear join, while others were so successful they learned the hard way that human and Simisear biologies are extraordinarily different and no amount of candy can let them breathe fire, and buried the rest of the candies in the costume's tail for staggered consumption over the course of the next month.

In time, other children began to emulate them, and as the custom evolved from heist to ritual, a few chose different pokemon as their costumes. Today the holiday of Halloween is often associated with ghost pokemon, for young children have often been fascinated by all things scary, and in this global era it has become somewhat merged with the Kalosian festival of Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist, which falls on the same date. But whenever one witnesses the wild Simisear of Unova ringing doorbells for candy and fuel in the hopes of being mistaken for trick-or-treaters, it is hard to forget this holiday's origins.


	515. Panpour

In this world full of countless creatures with powers which humans can only begin to approach, Man has often defined itself in opposition to non-legendary pokemon in its ability to shape its environment. Even this self-image is a fragile one – Sinnoh's philosophers have often pointed out that Bibarel build dams – but until the discovery of Unova, agriculture was known only to humans, and it served as the basis for many justifications of human mastery of the world.

And then the world discovered the Pinwheel and Lostlorn forests, filled with troops of Panpour watering trees with their tails. At first, humanity grasped at straws, suggesting first that they were using water to hunt for insects, then that they were not watering it to grow the plant, but to make it easier to digest. But with each research effort, another excuse fell away, until it finally became clear that the whole of both forests had been painstakingly created by the Panpour themselves as a source of reliable food.

Tragically, as more and more Panpour were captured – for once humanity accepted the truth, they realized that a pokemon which can water plants is very useful on a human farm - the forests themselves began to diminish. Pokemon trainers soon began to fear for the many rare pokemon that had been drawn to these miniature ecosystems created by Panpour agriculture, which some even likened to a natural zoo. In time, some exchanged their regular outfits for a pokemon ranger's gear, and began regular patrols to prevent any unauthorized Panpour catching, in order to preserve the forest these pokemon had built.

Man is distinguished from pokemon today only in that it can not be captured in any sort of poke ball.


	516. Simipour

The restaurant connected to the Striaton City Gym, among many other idiosyncrasies, is notable as the last establishment in Unova to still serve water poured by Simipour.

For much of Unova's history, however, one could scarcely find a restaurant or inn without one, and any family which could afford a Panpour and a water stone would eagerly snatch one up for themselves. In this era, before artificial water filters, fresh water was rare, and pollution from humans and pokemon alike ruined the taste of many rivers; in heavily urbanized Unova, it was rarer still. People instead hydrated themselves in a variety of ways, such as fruit juices and alcoholic beverages, forgetting the taste of water, a relic from a bygone age.

The majority of water pokemon absorb water from their environment. If the local water has a nasty taste, so will the pokemon's attacks; if the water is heavily polluted, the pokemon will become sickened. Yet no matter how much agricultural waste flooded Unova's rivers, Simipour could be spotted pouring water from their front hairs onto suffering pokemon and into their mouths - and that of many a curious human- unharmed by the waste which sickened everything else in the water

Simipour at the time were thought to be natural water purifiers, although more recent, severe pollution events have shown this to be untrue. But these pokemon do have a remarkable ability to find even the most hidden sources of pure groundwater, and their watery hair provides them with a way to share it with the world – human and pokemon alike. Drinking water, once so polluted that it had been all but forgotten as a drink for humans, became a Unova-wide sensation, which it remains to this day, although the Simipour themselves have been supplanted by filtration machines.


	517. Munna

Munna do not only feast on the dreams of the sleeping, for which they are famous; if they become hungry during the day or surrounded by too many insomniacs, they will also devour daydreams. This pokemon's victims typically report that soon after seeing a Munna, they become overcome with a powerful feeling of ennui, for they had forgotten the dreams they had spent their lives trying to make come true. Only once the Munna has moved on do they regain the vigor which hope provides.

Yet if their motivation for performing whatever task is at hand does not relate to their dreams, those fed on by Munna gain the ability to throw themselves with renewed focus into their work. For this reason, early psychologists thought to use Munna to treat the easily distracted, in a series of experiments which succeeded in producing more focused and diligent workers, but the treatment proved tragically irreversible; many of these individuals either changed their lives completely when a different dream replaced the old, or found no new dreams, only a deep despair culminating in suicide.

This treatment was soon banned, and remains a black mark on the psychological profession to this day, but overwhelming daydreams still leave many lost in thought, and remain a large hurdle for anyone seeking to make their dreams come true. A few pokemon trainers have reported some success in using Munna in moderation, claiming that with adequate nutrition and a regular effort made towards making their dreams come true, these pokemon can be safely utilized on their daydreams. Most trainers, however, use their Munna only sparingly in daylight, and take great pains to let them out to eat only when about to fall asleep, terrified that this pokemon will eat the dreams which give themselves hope.


	518. Musharna

It is said that a few people who fall asleep near a Musharna do not have their dreams eaten, but instead wake up disoriented from remarkably vivid and realistic dreams. The dreams are said to be a result of being caught in a Musharna's "dream mist" while sleeping, and they portray an idyllic world of nature and bizarre pokemon. Some who have experienced these dreams report befriending pokemon from faraway lands, then giving what laboratories have described as impossibly accurate descriptions of these species; others report battles with pokemon subtly different from those which exist in reality.

When these individuals wake up, they are often convinced that their dream reflected reality – and a few even find proof, in the form of strange poke balls filled with pokemon they do not remember capturing, or items they had never obtained. Most people, however, find neither; only a mournful sense that something they encountered in their dream had been ripped away from them, and the conviction that the only way back is to follow the responsible Musharna into the world of dreams. The Musharna will gladly lead these prey long distances, feasting on them along the way in a series of more and more vivid, often repeated dreams, until their journey at last concludes in a bizarre and mysterious land. This land – at times understood as the afterlife, but in truth a far stranger place – allows the dreamers to reconnect with the pokemon they have never seen when awake, who will instantly jump into their pokeballs.

When their initial dream is at last fulfilled, some will return home, but others will prefer the world Musharna had brought them to, which most can access only while asleep. From our perspective, those who remain are experiencing an eternal and wonderful dream.


	519. Pidove

In Johto, it is said that a Donphan never forgets; in Unova, it is said that a Pidove never remembers. Despite being one of the region's most common birds, and one of the few pokemon to dramatically expand its range as the result of urbanization, Pidove are far from popular among pokemon trainers, largely because of these pokemon's tendency to outright ignore human commands.

Yet although extraordinarily forgetful, Pidove are not stupid. These pokemon combine exceptional eyesight with a sufficient grasp of symbolic representation to engage in reading, and Pidove trainers avoid the problem of making them respond on command by writing down long lists of commands for various situations in advance. These lists are attached to a Pidove's leg in the manner of mail, but Pidove lack a sufficient sense of direction to be used to carry messages to other humans; the recipient of this mail is the Pidove itself. Properly positioned on the leg, Pidove need only a glance to remember which attack to use next. This process is far quicker than asking trainers for a second order, and carries virtually no risk of the Pidove suffering extra attacks. It is, however, a time-consuming process, one which requires the trainer to prepare for every conceivable situation before the match even begins.

Some Pidove trainers learn through this process how to master preparing for pokemon battles, and for this reason Pidove are often given to new trainers as a teaching aid, for knowing as a trainer how to react to every possibility one can develop is the first step to becoming a pokemon master. Others instead become enamored by the process of programming live Pidove, and learn to transfer that skill from pokemon to machines; it is with good reason that Unova has long led the field of computing.


	520. Tranquill

Tranquill have long been seen as a symbol of peace – a symbolism which is today often forgotten, because much of humanity has forgotten that peace has a horrific, tragic alternative. Back when war captured mankind's attentions and lives, however, legends abounded about the Tranquill, on whom people projected their hopes for a life without such massive bloodshed.

Perhaps these legends have their origins in the fact that many of Tranquill's techniques make them supremely difficult targets in wars, or from the tales that some flocks have used featherdance on warring armies en masse in the hopes of making further killing impossible. Or perhaps it is because Tranquill are among the least fractious of pokemon; when given the choice between fight or flight, they universally trust in the ability of their wings and their navigation skills, which are as advanced as a Pidove's are poor, to find themselves a new home. This solution to conflict, to be sure, is known to humanity, but in eras where arable land was scarce and exile a punishment more often than a choice, many people looked upon the Tranquill with envy. In times of famine, some would take advantage of their pacifism to raid Tranquill nests for food, but most condemned those who took this step for it was robbing the righteous.

Because Tranquill so abhor war, armies did not fear them as invaders, spies, or even enemy messengers, and they were viewed as innocent of all violence. Consequently, any Tranquill, no matter their owner, could be guaranteed safe conduct through warring lands. This fact, combined with the dangers of more conventional diplomacy, evolved into a custom of negotiating ends to particularly bitter conflicts not face-to-face, but by messages attached to these pokemon's legs; a custom which survived until Tranquill negotiation ended Unova's final war.


	521. Unfezant

The brilliant plumage of the male Unfezant does not function solely, as had once been believed, to attract a mate; it is equally adept at frightening away predators. Its bright pink color recalls venom, or perhaps psychic powers, and the shape serves to give the face a terrifying appearance from which most untrained pokemon – predator and prey alike – flee. It is the female Unfezant which hunts, for it is more difficult to spot over long distances, unencumbered by a mask which can at times interfere with flight, and more easily mistaken for harmless; the male of the species typically spends its time protecting the nest from predators, moreso by terror than by actual combat.

Humans, however, are a species with sophisticated brains and a myriad of masks and other adornments, so they have found the male Unfezant no scarier than its mate. Understanding the mask to be clothing, and ascribing to it the qualities of beauty and virility which it suggests to female Unfezant (although applying the same aesthetic taste to female humans is always spurious) some men have even sought to steal it, with little success. Although the Unfezant mask appears loose in the eye area, it is in fact composed of a very unusual group of feathers, and can not be removed without both killing the Unfezant and staining the mask irreversibly with blood.

Their faces injured by beaks and talons, these men then covered their faces artificially, often with masks inspired by these very pokemon. A few went so far as to fraudulently claim victory, and although the false Unfezant masks did not necessarily win their wearers romantic success, they did intrigue many with their craftsmanship and mystique. Similarly constructed masks remain a staple in theater and on television to this day.


	522. Blitzle

Unlike the closely related Ponyta, Blitzle were not domesticated until the invention of the poke ball, and maintain a reputation for wildness to this day so severe that few humans will raise them. These few are exclusively pokemon trainers, for Blitzle are horribly uneconomical in the agricultural and transportation niches in which Ponyta have long excelled. This has been often ascribed to typing; fire pokemon have been owned by humans since man's best friend of Growlithe, while electric pokemon were much slower to be mastered. But the domestication of the electric rodent family makes this an untenable hypothesis, and the true reason Blitzle are so unruly owes more to the fact that their range overlaps entirely with those portions of the world which know thunderstorms.

For much as a human will reflexively cover their ears and run for cover in thunder, a Blitzle will leap over or charge through any enclosure in order to chase down the lightning's source. To them, lightning not only provides energy (as with most electric pokemon) but replenishes their electrified, white mane and stripes, which they use both to shock away parasites and attract mates with brilliant displays of white lightning.

To the people of Unova, the sound of racing Blitzle hooves has often been conflated with that of thunder, for the two are never far apart. And neither plugs nor pokeballs can constrain this primal urge; wise Blitzle trainers check the forecast constantly, so as to be prepared for when their pokemon will temporarily go mad. This compulsion is so severe that many Blitzle trainers will even try desperately to evade Unova-wide hurricanes, for the combination of fierce winds and thunder has driven many of these pokemon to an accidental release or an early, windswept grave.


	523. Zebstrika

The legends of ancient Unova claim that the lightning bolts of heaven, or in some tellings Thundurus (as distinguished from the far smaller shocks produced by pokemon such as Emolga) do not exclusively fall from the heavens; they can race just as fast and dangerously across the land, and when they do so they are given the name Zebstrika. The line between the two phenomena has long been blurred in this cosmology. Lightning is portrayed in art exclusively as white and ringed in black, not yellow as in much of the world, and falls in patterns resembling a Zebstrika's horn and mane.

The corollary of this belief is that a Blitzle's evolution, despite the relatively minor morphological differences compared to those of many other pokemon, is treated as a profound and tragic transformation; Zebstrika are not mature Blitzle, but a terrifying force of nature which had somehow possessed and transformed a living pokemon. And to be sure, Zebstrika's behavior gives credence to this idea; they race long distances across Unova in pursuit only of satisfying their curiosity, and they discharge powerful electrical shocks in all directions, not exclusively at their enemies.

Modern science has offered a less legendary explanation for the Zebstrika. It has won credence among many trainers, who by considering it a simple evolution explain away the fact that their evolved Blitzle still remember them and treat them with some fondness and obedience, although never quite as much as before, and avoid the guilt that would come with their pokemon losing their soul to a lightning bolt. Others adhere to traditional beliefs, some out of piety, others because they love the idea of being able to command and ride upon not a common pokemon, but a deadly force of nature thrown by Thundurus itself.


	524. Roggenrola

It is with good reason that biological evolution has largely separated the ear, the eye, and the mouth; it is difficult to converse or sense danger when any overlap leaves one deaf, blind, or both. Roggenrola, however, are a mineral pokemon, produced not by evolution but by some still poorly-understood geologic process, or simply unchanged from the initial form imagined by the cruel or ill-conceived creative impulse of the gods. This single-opening face makes communication extraordinarily difficult for these pokemon, and Roggenrola are said to envy even the Zubat, whose blindness will soon be erased by maturity.

To the Roggenrola, on the other hand, time produces little but erosion; carbon dating has revealed more than a few individuals who lived for billions of years without becoming a Boldore. This is not an inherent characteristic of rock pokemon; Geodude may live long lifespans, for instance, but if they seek out power, their sturdy bodies will ensure that they can eventually become Graveler. Many Roggenrola – inevitably the younger ones – undergo the same process, and today comprise the world's population of wild Boldore. But up to half of all Roggenrola alive today contain heavy concentrations of everstone within their bodies, which require the concentration and functional hands of a trainer to separate out; otherwise, no matter how many battles they win, these Roggenrola will never be able to evolve.

A large proportion of wild pokemon – and for that matter, most humans – see humanity as created to be a supreme species, destined to rule over others. To some pokemon, this is seen as a divine curse leading inevitably to their extinction; to others, this is a grand opportunity. Roggenrola, and communities which mine everstone from them, instead consider humanity's creation an act of long-awaited divine mercy.


	525. Boldore

Boldore are rock pokemon, with all the vulnerabilities that implies, yet have become surprisingly valued among prospectors for their tendency to travel vast distances in order to seek out groundwater. Initially it was suggested that Boldore engage in these searches out of excessive, almost paranoid preparation; should they know everything in the area which can kill them, these oft-sedentary pokemon can far better defend themselves from danger. The problem with this theory is that groundwater can not kill Boldore, only wound them, because Boldore are virtually indestructible.

This fact only renders the behavior more puzzling, and attempts to explain it in human terms have frequently invoked absurd metaphors such as flying pokemon flying into thunderstorms and bug pokemon looking for flames. Boldore appear to gain some benefit from the water, at least in this peaceful form, although the same substance remains very painful to experience when shot at them from another pokemon's mouth.

Currently, it is most often suggested that Boldore use these small sources of water to do exactly what water typically does to rock pokemon, but in a safe and controlled manner. Left alone, Boldore tend to accumulate rock over the course of their lives, a process which initially makes them a larger and stronger pokemon. But although the very fact that these pokemon can move on their narrow, orange crystals in the manner of unguligrades speaks to those items' immense power, even these crystals have limits. A Boldore which grows too large becomes more sluggish than a Slaking, and it is to avoid this fate that these pokemon learn to find water even in the driest of caves. They will gladly help out humans who wish to use the water in many ways the Boldore find alien, however, for they consider mankind their friends.


	526. Gigalith

Ancient humans from places as distant as Unova and Kalos have left behind massive stone monuments that puzzled generations of observers, both as to the reason of their creation and their method, for these civilizations appeared to lack the technology to build these colossal monoliths, and had no obvious means of commanding sufficient manpower to do so.

It is notable, however, that all these civilizations lived in close contact with Boldore; before the monolith came the Gigalith. Although common today, Boldore were extremely valuable in these societies, for they were the most powerful domestic pokemon of the era, and in the rare events that their ownership was transferred – typically from inheritance, but rarely to trade for even more strange and valuable pokemon, or in times of desperation in exchange for food – it was realized that these transfers of ownership turned Boldore into even more valuable pokemon.

Today, Boldore are evolved by trading, typically for one another; should the recipient refuse to trade them back, both trainers would still be able to claim a Gigalith. But in ancient times, this was not always possible, for low population densities meant that it was rare for two people in the same village or hunter-gatherer clan to own a Boldore. These ancient, proto-civilized communities, then are said to have developed as a way not to control agriculture, but to ensure that those who traded weak pokemon to evolve Boldore traded back; it is difficult, after all, to compel individuals in possession of a pokemon as powerful as Gigalith. The communities soon developed large groups of Gigalith, and took advantage of these pokemon's ability to haul and carve stones to build monuments to their own greatness, many of which stand to this day, their inscriptions rendered undecipherable by the ravages of time.


	527. Woobat

The heart-shaped mark left on people, pokemon, and even misidentified walls has long been considered a sign of good fortune. Individuals suffering maladies from loneliness to bankruptcy have therefore sought out Unova's caves, in the hopes that the right bat will bless them; the bites of the related Zubat not only sting, but have often been alleged to contain a curse. Woobat trainers therefore have often been considered among the luckiest individuals in their communities, and the competition of the masses for their pokemon's blessing has at times made this into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Heart stamps on objects are also said to contain some of Woobat's power, if a lesser amount than on a human itself. Travelers to Unova's caves are as drawn by the stamps on the cave walls as the Woobat themselves, and on the rare occasions when lost Woobat exit caves and bump into outdoor objects and buildings, those items swiftly become objects of pilgrimage in their own right. Woobat trainers, aware of their pokemon's reputation, often used their pokemon to stamp envelopes, in the hope of giving good luck to friends and family in distant towns – and just as importantly, to ensure prompt and enthusiastic mail delivery, for mailmen also seek better fortune.

Today, stamps are often removed from their heart-shaped origins, and are today more often used to confirm origins, enthrall collectors, or provide proof of payment than to provide anyone with good luck. But it is said that in those areas of Unova which still adhere to tradition and where Woobat remain rare, a Woobat's stamp can still in a pinch substitute for those purchased at the post office, for the good fortune they provide is more than worth the ordinary costs of delivery.


	528. Swoobat

It is said that whenever a flock of Swoobat ventures too far from the caves they call home, their destruction is accompanied by a delirious happiness among the people whose cities they destroy. Yet this saying misses the point, for the destructive sound waves of the Swoobat do not destroy indiscriminately like bombs or earthquakes, but in a careful and targeted manner, and the buildings they target are those which create the most unhappiness for the people.

Quite often, these buildings are sweatshops, although schools which mistreat students have also fallen prey, as have prisons used less to house real criminals than those mistreated by tyrannical regimes. In modern times, these attacks have decreased in frequency with the greater happiness of the age, but not been eliminated; with the growing importance of battle, pokemon gyms with particularly cruel leaders have also been targeted to these pokemon. Private residences are also broken, and although those with large residences who gain their wealth through brutal exploitation or use their position with cruelty are most often targeted, even small homes or a single apartment window can suffer, if the occupant is sufficiently abrasive and skillful at making others miserable.

For this reason, Swoobat flocks have been compared to a revolution on wings, and this appellation is more justified than many individuals realize. For contrary to popular belief, Swoobat do not live in caves or anywhere else in the wild; Woobat evolve as the result of a strong bond between pokemon and trainer. Each and every destructive act by a Swoobat flock has its roots in one, or at times a small association, of trainers, but the people these pokemon affect are sufficiently overjoyed to avoid investigated too deeply, and instead treat these vandalisms as acts of the gods.


	529. Drilbur

There is a legend – some say from Unova, some say from Sinnoh, but only after its people had encountered Unovan pokemon – of a Drilbur so powerful that it reached the summit of Mount Coronet to petition Dialga and Palkia, and, finding no response, tied a balloon to its back and pierced the heavens itself with its drill. Once there, Arceus asked what it wanted, and it asked to be allowed to colonize the stars and spread its descendants across the whole universe. Arceus answered in the negative, for population pressures among the world's lifeforms had already led to fierce competition for survival, and Arceus feared that to repeat the cycle on other worlds would threaten the universe itself. Enraged, this Drilbur rallied its comrades to invade heaven, and although they were defeated, Arceus' wings were damaged in the battle with countless holes, leaving only the spoke-like frame behind.

This tale has inspired generations of humans, who see themselves in the Drilbur and are inspired by its heroic determination and its ability to injure the creator of all. That its wishes of uncontrolled colonization would endanger the whole universe according to the tale itself is paid little heed: Drilbur is the protagonist in all tellings, whose heroic words and martyrdom inspire humanity to this day; Arceus is the villain, whose actions are used in this era of unsustainable growth to attack both religion and conservation efforts.

There is some truth to this tale, but it is distorted beyond recognition – and I say this not out of bias, for I would never authorize the cruel measures of which the Arceus of that legend has been accused! It refers to an incident involving Yveltal, not Arceus, the Drilbur was struck down early in the tale, and his comrades ultimately triumphed.


	530. Excadrill

The efforts of Nimbasa City to develop a safe and functional subway system were stymied throughout its construction by the local underground's large population of Excadrill. These pokemon occasionally appear on the surface, but they travel primarily by digging and build their nests deep underground. For most of the city's history, this was not a problem, for their network of tunnels carried them far below the foundations of the city's architecture, and the Excadrill soon learned the hard way that although it was easy to drill through concrete, human retaliations made it extremely inadvisable.

The same consideration could not be given to the subway's construction, which stretched deep beneath the city, walling off large portions of their habitat and often appropriating existing Excadrill tunnels for trains. The Excadrill remained a constant nuisance after the project's completion, drilling not only through the tracks and walls (which were swiftly repaired and extensively maintained to prevent tragic accidents) but even the trains themselves.

To combat the Excadrill, Nimbasa City sent for Unova's top trainers to defend the passengers of these trains, and, intrigued by both the challenge and the rare items given in payment, they eagerly accepted. At first, their pokemon rode atop the train and tried to engage these Excadrill as they came, but the Excadrill were so enthralled by the challenge that instead of trying to derail trains, they boarded at every stop to ensure themselves longer, more exciting battles.

With this new threat, the train cars where these trainers rode were reinforced from the inside, in order to withstand the chaos of a pokemon battle. The trainers, renowned already for their skill, tested their abilities against each other as well as the Excadrill, who stopped attacking trains in favor of fighting on them, and the Battle Subway was born.


	531. Audino

Audino are kindly pokemon who in the wild would much sooner heal a trainer's pokemon than attempt to knock them out. Although they can be taught to damage other pokemon, those who are captured are far more often used by trainers to support their teammates in battle, for they do not take easily to harming others.

Audino are also, however, extremely tempting targets for anyone wishing to strengthen their own pokemon. Not only does their reluctance to attack allow even the weakest pokemon to defeat them, but triumph over an Audino is mysteriously more rewarding to a pokemon's strength than even defeating a gym leader. Many a Unovan has succumbed to the temptation of quicker training that an Audino provides, but others have fled, their conscience leaving them unable to command their pokemon to attack.

Philosophers over the centuries have often debated the "Audino question" as well. Some hold that because pokemon do not die from battles, only faint, or because they are lesser beings and humans have often run roughshod over wild pokemon, it is morally acceptable to attack Audino for the sake of training. Others hold these pokemon up as a moral exemplar and claim that the world would be a better place if we all followed the pacifism of the Audino. A few avoid the question entirely, claiming that Audino themselves sacrifice so that other pokemon may be trained; this belief has some credibility in echoing the way Abra flee from combat, and the reports which describe many gods as doing likewise – reports that buttress the many claims from pacifists that Audino are holy pokemon.

Although the world has largely abandoned war, pokemon battles are more popular than ever, so trainers must decide for themselves whether it is right or wrong to train against the Audino.


	532. Timburr

The reluctance of Timburr to use the large, square logs they carry as weapons is matched only by their determination to carry them into battle anyway. As defensive objects, Timburr logs are poor items; too big to effectively parry with, too long and narrow to serve as a shield. A few Timburr do use them as pikes, holding them in front of their bodies to prevent charging attacks, but this rarely justifies the loss of speed that comes from carrying such heavy items. Timburr will gladly toss these logs into the air to use their fists, but no amount of training can convince these pokemon that their enormous logs make far better weapons.

Some have suggested this reluctance comes from the fact that Timburr fear crippling their opponents with severe injuries, but in a world where pokemon brave fire, ice, and lightning, a large block of wood should not be any more dangerous. More likely, it is the log itself which Timburr are protecting. Timburr carve themselves these square logs by hand soon after birth, but it is a long and difficult process. The wood they use, although stronger than most trees, is not nearly as stable as steel or rock; perhaps Timburr picture these items shattering like broken baseball bats if used against the wrong foe.

Many have questioned, in light of this weakness, why Timburr bother to carry logs at all. The reason for this is that Timburr do not see pokemon battling as simply an effort to win the most matches, as most of their trainers do, but as a way to grow stronger. A Timburr who can carry wood without difficulty becomes a Gurdurr who can do likewise with steel – and Gurdurr are by no means reluctant to use their equipment as weaponry.


	533. Gurdurr

Gurdurr have long been viewed as among the dumbest of the world's pokemon. According to popular wisdom, Timburr are fairly unintelligent pokemon, and Gurdurr are at their smartest soon after evolution. Their intelligence then deteriorates because Gurdurr typically carry their steel beams directly over their head, and these enormous beams are too heavy for even a Gurdurr to securely carry. Whenever they drop a beam, a lump forms on their head to mark the wound, and their intelligence decreases from the trauma.

This understanding of Gurdurr has a long history in Unovan culture, and comparisons to these pokemon have long played a role in discussions of brawn vs. brain. Indeed, Gurrdurr's very name has contributed sounds which represent stupidity to many a language. It is also completely wrong. The lumps on Gurdurr's head are not bruises, but a natural shock absorber, and Gurdurr's brain is lower in the head than many fighting pokemon precisely to prevent brain damage. Construction workers have long ridiculed this interpretation, for few would allow any creatures as dumb as Gurdurr supposedly were to handle equipment far heavier and dangerous than even their steel beams. They have noted that Gurdurr follow instructions precisely, whether building high towers or wrecking the right buildings with such perfect control that even adjacent, much lower lots are never harmed.

Perhaps the myth developed because Gurdurr are far physically stronger than humans, and also have the opposable thumbs and penchant for tool use that many wild pokemon lack. Ancient humans sought a way to explain their superiority in dominating the world, noticed Gurdurr's lumped head and tendency to drop their beams, and a long-lasting myth was born. Or perhaps humans, who must often choose to train strength or knowledge, simply projected stupidity onto an extremely muscular pokemon.


	534. Conkeldurr

There is a famous epic which claims that some of the concrete skyscrapers of Castelia City predate human occupation of the site. According to this tale, Castelia was originally a Conkeldurr city, which was stolen by humans in a war started because Unova had become so overpopulated that people had come to covet these pokemon's homes. The war was long and brutal, and although ultimately won by humanity, it was only through extensive use of powerful flying pokemon such as Braviary. Yet when the survivors surrendered, the conquerors became overcome with guilt, and allowed the Conkeldurr to continue living in the city, provided they allowed humans to move in as well; a compromise made possible by the extensive deaths on both sides which left the surviving populations small enough to share the city with ease.

There is truth in this legend, but many details have been distorted by time and the embellishments of storytellers. The story can not be securely placed in Castelia, and many scholars proposed alternative locations for the site of the war. The Conkeldurr city as it is usually depicted did not look like modern Castelia, except that it was made of concrete; the towering structures of the modern city are all of human design. This is because Conkeldurr are flightless creatures, and lacked the engineering advances which allow for modern skyscrapers to become convenient; to them, a 47-story building would have been more like a prison than a home. And the Conkeldurr population was not a group of wild pokemon which evolved urbanization in parallel with man; they had spent much of their lives building human settlements, and ran away when faced with new owners who mistreated them.

The claim that Conkeldurr building techniques such as concrete pillars were adopted by humans, however, is absolutely true.


	535. Tympole

Although the high-pitched sounds by which Tympole communicate can not be picked up by human ears, successive civilizations since the dawn of Unova's history have noted these pokemon's affinity towards music. If isolated from their pod and others of their species, lone Tympole will alter their frequencies in the hopes of being heard, and the sound they produce this way is a high-pitched, beautiful melody.

Tympole's musical talents were supposedly discovered by accident, but this discovery predates the dawn of civilization, and even the earliest sources record it only in legends. Human musicians in antiquity were quick to take advantage of the Tympole, using these pokemon both for their voice and as drums, although this practice was controversial and derided by many of their competitors as pokemon abuse. These ancient songs have been lost to a lack of notation, but later eras answered that problem with a musical language based on the symbols on a Tympole's face – one which provides the roots of the notation used to this day.

Today, Tympole are rarely used musically outside of the orchestra, and strict laws regulate their commercial performances; Tympole drums are illegal in Unova, and they are most frequently used for their voices. The songs they typically sing to humans are highly ritualized and the product not of isolation, but fierce training; they bear more resemblance to the vocalizations used to communicate with other species than the songs wild Tympole sing to one another. Yet Tympole are frequently isolated from their own kind by trainers, who capture them in poke balls and are loath to repeat a species on their team even in tournaments where doing so is legal. And some nights, before these trainers sleep, they hear the same wonderful songs which so enthralled the first concert audiences of Unova.


	536. Palpitoad

If one throws a rock into the wetlands around Icirrus city, they will find the rippling it creates echoed in countless larger and larger waves around the moor. These waves are not a phenomenon based solely in physics, as many Icirrus science teachers have struggled to convince their students; the thrown rock was mistaken for communication by the local Palpitoad, and they have answered in kind.

Although they are capable of speech, and far more easily heard by other species than the Tympole, Palpitoad eschew ordinary sound for communication by immense waves through land and water. To these pokemon, if one is worthy of being heard, their voice must not merely move through air, but also move the water, or on land the earth. Much as humans have tried to make their music and television louder and louder to compete with other broadcasters, Palpitoad have raced against each other for eons, seeking to create the greatest waves they can, so that all others of their species will pay them heed.

This is a minimal issue in the swamp water the Palpitoad call home, for it can not be navigated by ships and other pokemon have learned to tolerate them. But some trainers bring their beloved Tympole long distances before evolution, and many travelers are intrigued by the prospect of catching Palpitoad. Those who do so must be careful, for if they do not learn to keep their voice down when near civilization, Palpitoad have been known to sink ships and topple houses with the force of their vibrations. Most trainers let their Palpitoad out only in the wilderness and in pokemon arenas built to withstand the shocks of a great many species, for the property damage these creatures can cause would bankrupt even a Gym Leader!


	537. Seismitoad

The challenges in classifying Seismitoad, along with a few other pokemon such as Beedrill and Charizard, have led to calls from an increasing number of scientists for the recognition of some species as having three pokemon types. For under the current taxonomy, Seismitoad are far and away the most venomous pokemon not to be considered poison type in the world, surpassing many poison pokemon in the virulence of their venom.

There is some support for the current classification scheme, imperfect though it is, in the fact that Seismitoad do absorb psychic attacks far more easily, and grass techniques with far more difficulty, than the so-called "true poison" pokemon. But as any who have tried to burn or freeze a Snorlax or seen their Rhydon electrified through their horn know, pokemon types are often abstractions for trainers' benefit; a guideline to attacks, weaknesses, and resistances, not a fundamental truth which describes every species of a particular type the same way. Seismitoad are famous for shooting a powerful neurotoxin from the numerous spheres on their bodies, capable of seemingly paralyzing and poisoning enemy pokemon (and unwary humans who disturb their territory) at once. Their powerful fists can shatter bone, but pokemon who are not instantly defeated by their punch often find themselves slowly weakening over the rest of their battles with the Seismitoad – provided, of course, the fights last long enough for them to notice.

Although Seismitoad are not likely to be reclassified in the near future, trainers and travelers should be advised to exercise every bit as much caution with them as with any official poison type. They may be far more damaged by grass pokemon than a Muk, but make no mistake; if left untreated, Seismitoad venom can cost you your life, and the lives of your precious pokemon.


	538. Throh

The vast majority of Unovan sports, such as baseball, basketball, and Unovan football, claim a large influence from the region's population of Throh. Although in some cases other pokemon provided inspiration, and human ingenuity has changed the rules of these games dramatically from their pokemon predecessors, Throhing (or "throwing" as it is commonly spelled in this context) a ball stands at the root of most of Unova's athletics. 

The Throh prefer to throw the largest objects they can find, and often hurl objects and creatures which exceed their body size; a tendency with few parallels in Unovan sports, although it does echo some events more popular overseas. Humans, who lack the extreme muscle mass of the Throh, were far more intrigued by a game which the Throh see more as a warmup or a hobby than a true competition, in which they grab smaller, usually round pokemon and hurl them vast distances through the air. Whichever Throh was nearest responds by either catching the ball-shaped pokemon and running with it, or by throwing or punching it back. The rules seem as numerous as the Throh themselves, but it is easy to see the origins for nearly every ball-based sport in these pokemon if you look closely enough, and it is noteworthy that virtually every figure associated with inventing such games lived in close proximity to these pokemon.

Despite their natural talent, however, few trainers have managed to teach their Throh how to play the human games descended from their own. When given a ball, they attempt to play in the traditional manner, ignoring opponents, trainers' instructions, and referees alike. On the other hand, the Throh learn the rules of both judo and pokemon battles with ease.


	539. Sawk

Sawk are generally considered the most difficult of Unova's pokemon to train, not because they are lackadaisical, but because they train themselves so hard that they see little need for human help. The fact that Sawk are also bipeds with some resemblance to humans in build also works against their obedience; to Sawk, humans seem like weaker versions of themselves, and few martial artists would seek to learn from a weaker master.

For this reason, training a Sawk has little to do with physical development of the pokemon, which they are quite capable of handling on their own, but with winning their respect and improving their grasp of strategy. Most successful Sawk trainers must themselves become muscular men, although a few dedicated women are also able to command these pokemon, for a Sawk's respect can only be won through sparring.

It is remarkably difficult for a human to take down a Sawk in battle, and those who have sought to compel these creatures' obedience through pure contests of strength have universally embarrassed themselves and landed flat on their backs. Although it is necessary to grow strong enough to withstand these's pokemon's attacks and move them back – a feat most adult men are unable to accomplish – combat with a Sawk must also rely on cleverness. Most trainers who subdue their Sawk use techniques which most martial arts competitions would consider illegal cheap shots – those reluctant to use them will typically find their honor rewarded with their pokemon's disrespect - and all must learn to master evasion and exploit these pokemon's weaknesses. The battle need not be won, although victory helps; the purpose of this sparring match is to convince Sawk to acknowledge their trainer's strength. And that strength, in life as in pokemon battles, is ingenuity.


	540. Sewaddle

Sewaddle remain in their larval form far longer than most bug pokemon, and continually molt in the process of growing larger before evolution. Although their shed exoskeletons resemble the tree leaves which litter these pokemon's forest homes, they can be distinguished by their far softer texture. The tiny threads through which these pokemon sew their own silk-like shells – or through which their Leavanny mothers sew their first set – can be spotted even from a distance, if one knows what to look for. The young trainers of Pinwheel forest and other Sewaddle habitats commonly harvest these exoskeletons in order to sell them for spending money.

Molted Sewaddle skins can wrap around a human infant as easily as they can a pokemon, and can be sewn together to make remarkably comfortable blankets for older children to warm themselves through the harsh Unovan winters. Unlike Sewaddle, who seem to enjoy making new clothes for themselves as much as they enjoy wearing them and gladly abandon them with age, humans often grow attached to these blankets. Many prefer them over other fibers even when they have grown far too large for the blankets to be of practical use, although very few can afford large enough Sewaddle blankets or clothes to replace them. It is common in Unova for adults to keep a tiny, outgrown Sewaddle quilt between their pillow and their heads, so that when they sleep they do not forget the comforts of youth.

Despite the potential for significant profit, Sewaddle trainers refuse to sell their pokemon's coats except in times of dire financial need. Instead, they sew together the soft skins for their own use, often with their pokemon's aid, and claim a wardrobe as soft and comfortable as their Sewaddle's for the entirety of their lives.


	541. Swadloon

Swadloon are often considered extremely shy pokemon, for they spend much of the time with their faces hidden beneath their leaves. But in truth, these pokemon are outgoing creatures, quite different from the withdrawn and stationary Shellder; they will fight, love, and live exuberant lives spent primarily behind a one-way leafy shade which only their vision can penetrate.

Swadloon conceal their faces not to convey a specific sentiment or emotion, but to avoid doing so, for the sight of a Swadloon's face leads to frequent misunderstandings. Although Swadloon (and a few remarkably observant trainers) can distinguish between the tiny mouth movements which represent these pokemon's true facial expressions, the overwhelming majority of people and pokemon mistake their exposed face at all times for the expressions of grumpiness or displeasure in other species which their default faces resemble. Newly evolved Swadloon reveal their face as much as they had when Sewaddle, but as others notice their frown and respond with anger or unwarranted concern, Swadloon learn to withdraw their faces to prevent miscommunications, revealing them only on those rare occasions where they are genuinely feeling the annoyance which their face so strongly suggests.

For much of history, Swadloon's tendency to conceal themselves in their surroundings and never change facial expressions saw them associated with the ninja, and many a ninja tale describes them using techniques belonging in reality only to their pokemon – provided they trained a Swadloon, which was not a rare choice – and breaking their poker faces or tossing masks aside out of anger or before battles. Today, Swadloon are more commonly associated with frequent internet users, for they spend long periods of time talking to and playing games with one another, while rarely if ever revealing their face.


	542. Leavanny

Although Leavanny-made clothing is rarely preferred for everyday use, these pokemon have developed immense popularity among cosplayers. Industrial, mass-produced sewing is more than capable of supplying wardrobes which do not particularly stand out, and drove Leavanny from their historical role of sewing textiles through economies of scale, but the flashy, iconic outfits worn by most fictional characters require far greater craftsmanship to create, and many who wish to wear them find their efforts time-consuming and insufficient.

It is with good reason that the Leavanny are called a cosplayer's best friend, for even a sewing machine can not compare to these pokemon in speed. Leavanny are not particularly well-versed in the stories which inspire cosplayers, for their insect eyes do not allow them to be taken in by the illusions on which television relies, and their leafy hands which sew so well can not turn pages. For this reason, they require a great deal of assistance both in patterns and materials from the cosplayer, but given proper instructions these pokemon can put even elite cosplayers working on their own to shame. Then again, few such cosplayers exist; the highest ranks of cosplay contests are typically filled by Leavanny trainers who learn extensively from their pokemon, even if they raise this pokemon for display instead of battle.

Increasingly, the remarkable craftsmanship of the Leavanny has been recognized outside the walls of convention centers. Pokemon contests have always contained a significant display element, and the skills which make costumes of anime characters are just as valuable for making original outfits to be worn by human and pokemon alike. To be sure, they are not worn to emulate the outfits of favorite characters, but those characters wear costumes for the same reason that coordinators do; to look as impressive as possible.


	543. Venipede

Venipede are generally considered by trainers to be weak pokemon, but no one has informed these pokemon of that fact – or if they have, the Venipede refused to listen. On an individual level, Venipede, despite their determined efforts, are indeed constrained by their physical limitations; predatory birds defeat them with only modest difficulty, and any trainers who enter their habitat can easily fight one off. But when the Venipede gather together to swarm, they are often compared to a miniature marauding horde, and those foolish enough to ignore them soon learn of these pokemon's strength in numbers.

Venipede do not technically gain a helping hand by fighting in groups, as a Plusle or Minun might; three Venipede against three other pokemon have all the disadvantages of a one-on-one match. But Venipede populations are large and ferocious, and it is a rare city with enough pokemon to approach the weight of numbers these bugs possess alone. A Venipede swarm is like a deadly storm, and, in this peaceful age of city-states and disbanded militaries, is no easier to stop.

After the Venipede march through a land, the grass, trees, and shrubs are eaten bare. Buildings are rarely broken, but often climbed, and a few weaker structures lose windows or collapse outright under the pressure, but Venipede are most dangerous to balcony and rooftop gardens, which meet the same fate as their ground-level counterparts. The remains of half-eaten grass pokemon and a few foolish birds who underestimated the Venipede litter the ground, and trainers should be advised to return their own grass-types to their pokeballs at the beginning of any Venipede swarm. And the Venipede, once their march is complete, evolve to Whirlipede and roll away in all directions, individually stronger than before, but no longer a swarming catastrophe.


	544. Whirlipede

The term "Pinwheel Forest" is something of a mistranslation, for the forest's name does not, as outsiders often believe, refer to the small wheels blown by the wind centered by pins that are occasionally placed within the forest for ornamental purposes. In truth, Pinwheel Forest was named for the large, wheel-shaped pokemon who constantly roll around its floor and up its trees, their bodies covered in spikes which the forest's imaginative discoverer once likened to safety pins. Although many pokemon live within its environs, the forest's name is better understood as meaning "Whirlipede Forest" - and centuries later, this name remains an apt one.

This is not because Whirlipede are the most numerous pokemon in the forest – in fact, many trainers find it difficult to make the few they do find stay still long enough to capture them – but because they far and away draw the most attention. Part of this attention is a matter of safety, for Whirlipede are among the most dangerous of the area's pokemon. Smaller obstacles, including many young pokemon trainers, are more often flattened than avoided at the high speeds at which the Whirlipede roll, and even larger objects which could injure them can be difficult for these pokemon to avoid.

Whirlipede rely on this unusual method of locomotion for survival, as rolling allows them to escape predators and chase down even arboreal prey. But with the growing number of human visitors, Pinwheel Forest's Whirlipede increasingly roll for competitive purposes, for many intrigued challengers have tested their pokemon against the Whirlipede in at first unwitting "races" which are as much obstacle courses as contests of speed, and the Whirlipede have so eagerly taken to this competition that they have begun to race one another even with no humans around.


	545. Scolipede

There are few sights in Unovan history more terrifying than that of a mounted army riding atop a charging horde of Scolipede. Although these pokemon are lower to the ground than most species used as cavalry, they are large enough to carry a human rider, and their towering necks and heads allow Scolipede to spit poison long distances while shielding their riders from harm.

Scolipede cavalry did not much resemble their Ponyta counterparts, for a Ponyta rider was expected to do most of the fighting, while a Scolipede rider's purpose was to protect their mount. Scolipede are capable of fighting on their own, and their military use in Unova predates the saddle, but a Scolipede without a rider inevitably fell far sooner than one which claimed human protection. Scolipede's long necks constrained the ability of their riders to attack in a forward direction, so their riders typically used archery to attack flying pokemon from a distance and swords to protect their pokemon from flank attacks, while they fed potions to their Scolipede to help them recover from the wounds of battle.

When a Scolipede was too badly injured, the rider's job was also to lead them away from the battle – a task which many soldiers saw as cowardice, but which was often a necessity, for these pokemon were so expensive that no polity could afford to sacrifice too many in war. The many reports of riders returning unmounted to the fight once their Scolipede was safely in its poke ball gave proof to their courage – and given their tendency for uncontrollable rampages, some historians describe riding these pokemon as nearly as courageous an act as fighting them!

Today, war is gone from Unova, but the sight of a Scolipede horde, even unmounted, still fills many with terror.


	546. Cottonee

It was once thought to be impossible to farm Cottonee, for they float vast distances on the wind, far beyond the practical ability of any farmer to contain, and are remarkably adept at avoiding any flying pokemon sent to corral them by separating out chunks of cotton in their own shape to deceive their captors. Indoor farming, although occasionally attempted, was also impossible; even in a greenhouse, Cottonee did not receive enough sunlight to grow, for these pokemon must use the wind in order to fly close enough to the sun's rays. Clothing was made of a variety of fabrics and sewn by Leavanny for most of Unova's history, for although cotton is a quite comfortable fabric which had occasionally been gathered throughout the region, no one had discovered a practical method to gather enough of it to supply even a modest percentage of the region's clothing needs.

This problem was solved through a greater understanding of wind currents, for there are a few areas of Unova where the wind blows in nearly a small circle – and many more where it can be made to, with help from flying pokemon and windbreaks. Cottonee farms tend to be quite large compared to those of other pokemon, but need not be situated on otherwise arable land, for Cottonee spend most of their time airborne and the tendency of these pokemon to blanket the ground with cotton when blown in a circle makes growing anything else on the same land impossible.

Although only they are farmed in a small portion of Unova, the high rate at which the Cottonee shed cotton has made them the most popular choice for clothing in the region, and an increasing export overseas. In most of the world, however, they have so far failed to replace Mareep wool.


	547. Whimsicott

Although the Whimsicott's remarkable control of wind is thought to have evolved to allow these pokemon to recapture their lightweight, windswept young, this is not how they primarily use this power. Whimsicott are born pranksters, and wind is their primary tool of deception and mischief. A single Whimsicott's tricks, let alone those of the species as a whole, are far too many to adequately summarize here, and pokemon trainers who face off against this pokemon are advised to prepare for literally anything. It is common to reduce anti-Whimsicott preparation to target only such common schemes as taunting opponents or using support techniques out of their apparent turn, but one should not forget that these creatures use their ability to sneak into locked houses and canny manipulations of winds to account for more poltergeist sightings in Unova than all ghost pokemon combined.

In one famous match, a Whimsicott was summoned legally, but appeared not to emerge from its pokeball, and knocked out multiple opposing pokemon while concealed in a low-lying fog cloud to the protests and bafflement of the opposing trainer. In another, a Whimsicott disguised itself as a Flaaffy with body paint, which was allowed as a held item, and shrugged off earthquakes until the opponent finally discovered the ruse.

Other Whimsicott schemes have been less successful, and Whimsicott trainers should be advised to pay close attention to their pokemon and memorize even the most obscure rules of the pokemon league. Incidents of Whimsicott attempting to buttress pokemon's attacks while hidden outside their pokeball are commonplace, and have led to many an embarrassing disqualification. And of course, Whimsicott love playing pranks, and this does not exclusively apply to ones pulled on their enemies; opponents must be wary only in battle, but Whimsicott trainers must always be ready for trickery.


	548. Petilil

Petilil are remarkably small and lightweight grass pokemon, and their tiny, stubby legs can maneuver across water nearly as easily as land – a valuable trait not only for the few unfortunate Petilil who are blown out to sea, but also for the marshes, swamps, and riverbeds many of these species call home. Although a part of their legs do indeed sink below the water, the vast majority of the pokemon remains upright and their movement resembles their land motion far more than paddling, so Petilil have at times been compared to Surskit as the only two pokemon to walk on water.

The fact that Petilil can "walk" on water is not nearly as widely known as it is in the case of the Surskit, whose long, thin legs allow for no misunderstandings, and this ignorance has at times presented tragic consequences. More than once a traveler has followed the Petilil into hidden and deadly swamps, mistaking these pokemon's unchanged movements for proof of continued dry land and sinking into an early grave.

Perhaps these incidents are the origins of the myths surrounding Petilil, where they are portrayed as mischievous forest spirits which eagerly carry souls to the afterlife, whether or not the soul in question has already exited its body. It is not entirely wrong to view this pokemon as spirits of the forest – for in a sense, all grass pokemon are, and Petilil in particular are noted for their association with vibrant areas of plant growth – but they weep for those who follow them and drown, and their futile rescue attempts are aimed at bringing men to safety on shore, not ferrying them to the world of the dead.


	549. Lilligant

Lilligant are officially referred to as the flowering pokemon, but some have proposed replacing this appellation with the "dancing pokemon" for while Lilligant flowers rarely bloom and often wilt, few can watch Lilligant without noticing their constant dance. In battle, these pokemon dance to wound their opponents, strengthen themselves, or baffle the opposition, while when at peace, Lilligant dance both to impress onlookers and to attract mates from one of many related species of male grass-type pokemon. Lilligant dances vary even more in appearance than they do in purpose, and it is said that no two Lilligant use exactly the same dance pattern.

Humans have also long appreciated dance, in contexts ranging from pokemon contests to the theater, so domestic Lilligant have often found work as entertainers. To human eyes, their dances are as baffling as they are beautiful, bouquets of falling and swaying petals, some of which are even mistaken for wings. Yet these pokemon have long been associated more with tragedy than joy, for their somber expression is often noticed even from a distance, and their wilted flowers or enclosed flower-buds are even harder to miss.

On rare occasions, a skilled Lilligant trainer can bring these pokemon happiness. When they succeed, a beautiful fragrance fills whichever halls these pokemon perform in, and a bright red-orange, crownlike flower on those rare Lilligant's heads highlights the ecstatic joy on their faces. Yet those trainers who discover how to make their Lilligant's flowers bloom either do so by accident or are sworn to secrecy, and the frequent wilting of their flowers and failure of any broadly-applied method to cheer these pokemon up ensures that flowering Lilligant remain as rare a sight now as in ancient times; some have suggested that even Yamask are more likely than Lilligant to be happy!


	550. Basculin

Basculin are often the first pokemon Unovans will catch with a fishing rod – even an old, beat-up one – and it is common to judge the whole species as analogous in power to Magikarp from the weakness of these hooked specimens. But it is only the youngest of Basculin who can be captured this way, for older ones learn to temper their ferocious aggression with wisdom, or at least to figure out the difference between food and obvious bait. And although Basculin are weak when young, and will never dominate pokemon battles on land, their very ubiquity suggests that they can not remain pushovers forever, for no pushover of a pokemon could so thoroughly dominate Unova's seas.

Although they have traditionally preyed on low-lying water/rock pokemon such as Corsola and Barbaracle, Basculin are adaptable predators, and once introduced to Unova have swiftly learned to feast on most of the region's water pokemon. Despite their weakness at birth, an adult Basculin's water attacks are so devastating on fishing boats and pokemon alike that they have been compared to Gyarados as terrors of the seas; although once an invasive species, they are now so numerous, and their rivals so rare, that their extirpation would be as catastrophic to the ecosystem as their introduction was.

Many experienced fishermen have captured adult Basculin, but unlike children with old rods this is typically to their dismay. Fully-grown Basculin are strong enough to tip over fishing boats, and they are more than capable of defeating most water pokemon used to help lure them in, just as they defeat their wild counterparts. If you should ever hook a Basculin with a super rod, be advised to let it go, for the prospect of fame from such an enormous catch is not worth losing your life.


	551. Sandile

It is annoyingly common when walking through Unova's deserts to be bitten in the foot by a Sandile. Sandile bites are not particularly dangerous in themselves, except to the elderly – their jaws, designed for small local pokemon, are not strong enough to break the bones of a healthy human – but their bites can certainly sting. It is vitally important for travelers to walk off any Sandile bites, for although the Sandile itself will not continue to bite one once it has identified their species, the harsh deserts they call home remain as deadly as ever.

It was once believed that Sandile were primarily scavengers, and their bites to human feet a means of hobbling prey until they expire from dehydration or heat exhaustion. But although Sandile do scavenge prey when it presents itself – as most desert predators will, for the sand preserves nutrients remarkably well – their diet consists primarily of live pokemon, some larger, some smaller, which are first immobilized by their jaws and then slain by further bites. The ability of humans to continue moving after Sandile bites, if at an often fatally slowed pace, disqualifies them from being prey animals, for Sandile have poor endurance and are incapable of keeping up with even a crippled desert traveler. And reprisals from future desert crossers, especially pokemon trainers, make this an extremely inadvisable way to help other Sandile find food.

In truth, Sandile bite feet not out of any hunger for man, but because standing only a foot above the oft-swirling desert sand, they find it difficult to distinguish humans from the large, lumbering pokemon such as Darmanitan which they consider prey. Tales of man-eating Sandile are nothing more than myths spread because many humans find it impossible to believe that they were bitten by accident.


	552. Krokorok

Although the heat-sensitivity of Krokorok eyes is typically described today as night vision, it is thought to have initially evolved as a way to seek out fire pokemon, against whom they have an advantage. Although they are capable of distinguishing forest fires from pokemon, primarily because of the former's immense size, Krookodile can not say the same about fires lit by humans.

Since humans first tamed fire for cooking, Krokorok has appeared in human lore as a remarkably foolish villain. For although Krokorok are known for smashing into houses and campsites in search of food, they are poor at recognizing the nature of their "prey", and initially mistake the fires for some undiscovered species of fire pokemon. Only after a few painful bites of nothing but fire and air do the Krokorok realize the deception, but a burning, angry Krokorok will not turn away with an empty stomach.

It is then that the scene becomes a battle – for Krokorok are not entirely wrong for associating human fires with food. Some steal the many morsels which were being cooked for human consumption; others, treating the humans who stoke the fire as the responsible fire-type, attempt to devour them. The surprised humans will inevitably fight the Krokorok off, for these pokemon have already been significantly injured by trying to eat their fires. A few will use fists or iron tools, but the most common weapon against the Krokorok is the nearby flames themselves. Should the Krokorok be defeated in the fighting and fail to escape, humans will gladly take the opportunity to replace their stolen meals.

Humans are typically considered normal type, and a few consider them fighting. The Krokorok consider them the most dangerous fire type, and considering their perspective it is difficult to say they are wrong.


	553. Krookodile

Although Krookodile have been known to pokemon trainers and occasionally trained for centuries, the fearsome regard in which many still hold their entire evolutionary line has historically made the usage of these pokemon an extremely rare event. A scattered few eccentrics trained Krookodile, a few more people given Sandile as childhood pets refused to part with them when they evolved. Krookodile only became a frequently trained pokemon when trained by some fearsome people themselves, for their wide-ranging appetites and terrifying reputation saw them eagerly taken up by organized crime.

Krookodile were certainly used in battles, and won many of them, but the true reason for their adoption was their ability to dispose of evidence. While Sandile prefer small or easily hobbled prey, and Krokorok prefer fire types, a Krookodile's stomach can and does digest virtually everything. From embarrassing documents and photographs to dead bodies and other evidence, these pokemon have proven invaluable to many a syndicate in covering their tracks. And should any detectives find proof of these crimes before it became a Krookodile's meal, they would have difficulty in protecting themselves from these powerful pokemon. Indeed, so many mobsters trained these pokemon that the term "Krookodile trainer" was often used as a euphemism for them – one which has since been shortened to the modern word "crook" or "krook" and broadened to refer to other types of criminals.

When the great Unovan mobs were finally broken up, public officials across Unova became aware of Krookodile's extremely varied tastes in food, and thought to put them to a different use. From discarded household appliances to plastic toys, much of what once landed in Unova's landfills now ends up in the adaptive, resilient stomachs of the Krookodile – although many corrupt politicians continue to reinforce the meaning of this pokemon's name.


	554. Darumaka

There are many primate pokemon known to occasionally hurl feces when angered, but typically this accomplishes little more than disgusting and annoying their victim. Darumaka droppings, however, are so hot that if placed in the pocket with gloves, a single dropping can make a person outdoors at night in the depth of winter feel comfortably warm. Should a single thrown dropping connect with exposed skin or fur, the victim should be rushed immediately to the nearest hospital or pokemon center, lest the burn damage become fatal. The reason these droppings are so destructively hot is that they come out of Darumaka, whose body temperature has been compared to a walking heat wave.

Darumaka have few natural predators, all of whom are remarkably tolerant to fire, are dependent on sneak attacks, and carefully wait for their victims to cool down before eating. To the rest of the world, however, these pokemon seem like a destructive force of nature even by the standards of fire pokemon, for what they lack in open flame they more than make up for in pure heat. A Darumaka coming to town does not burn buildings like a Cyndaquil, but in towns with insufficient air conditioning or an outdated electrical grid to power them, they account for far more fatalities simply by warming the air around them.

As dangerous as Darumaka are when awake, for their raw exuberance claims many victims, they should not be taken lightly when sleeping. These pokemon transition smoothly from irresistible force to immovable object, and a stationary heat source presents its own challenges. Should pokeballs fail to capture it, one must escape beyond a three-mile radius of this pokemon until it wakes up, for the superheated air which surrounds a sleeping Darumaka guarantees death by heat stroke.


	555. Darmanitan

Much to the frustration of their trainers, many Darmanitan which are injured in battle will use their wounds as a reason to meditate on the great questions of life, despite the fact that said battle is still ongoing. When Darmanitan meditate, they withdraw their arms and legs into their bodies, turn blue in color, and gain remarkably strong psychic powers at the expense of their power and speed. But these meditations are inevitably, quickly disrupted by further attacks which cost the Darmanitan the match. To combat this, Some trainers spring for expensive items from Kalos to teach their pokemon to stop meditating, while others replace their Darmanitan with more reliable pokemon.

It is only the scientists and monks who take interest in the actual thoughts of these Darmanitan – the former because it is a transformation of a form virtually unknown among pokemon, the latter because they have long been considered a holy pokemon, and understanding their thoughts is said to hold the key to enlightenment. Yet the difficulties of observation have often challenged both groups, for Darmanitan, against all common sense, will only meditate in the midst of combat!

It is lucky for knowledge that Darmanitan are considered to gain the psychic type in their blue-colored, immobile form, for absent these powers it is extremely unlikely that anyone would ever discover their thoughts. A few books of their wisdom have been published, but the appeal relies more on novelty than philosophical genius, for their contemplations and conclusions largely echo that of the Zen masters. Yet the fact that multiple species have come to the same grand conclusions independently of one another is claimed by monks to speak to the fundamental truth of their doctrine, and by scientists to a bizarre convergence deeply rooted in the mysteries of primate neurology.


	556. Maractus

It is said that only humans could be so foolish as to turn the song and dance of the Maractus – a terrifying ritual used to drive flying-type predators away – into something fit for festivals and celebrations. Yet much to the chagrin of Unova's bird keepers, humanity has succeeded in doing precisely that, and rare is the Unovan holiday today without a band of Maractus to provide the entertainment.

On the ground, a Maractus dance indeed suggests jubilation, for it is full of music and energy. It is necessary to view a Maractus dance from the air, however, to see its true intent, and many a balloonist, hang glider, or pokemon rider has learned the hard way why flying and levitating pokemon find these dances so terrifying. For although on the ground their movements seem harmless and their noises almost musical, the mysterious sounds which the Maractus produce grow louder with height until they become an ear-splitting screech, and the shapes in which these pokemon move recall Giratina, Yveltal, and other cruel and awful gods of yore. At the beginning of every Maractus performance, flying pokemon exit their nests and fly off in the other direction; this is not the joyous release of birds that many mistake it for, but a terrified flock of pokemon convinced their lives are in jeopardy and trying desperately to escape.

The Maractus performances have in recent years been phased out from some of Unova's largest celebrations, or moved to their end or beginning. This is not because of any newfound regard for the emotions of flying pokemon, but because such large ceremonies frequently receive aerial coverage on television, and blimp operators and photographers are no less terrified of the Maractus' song and dance.


	557. Dwebble

The rocks which wash up onto Unova's beaches at high tide are known for containing countless rare items, most of which are prized by pokemon trainers. Although these rocks are too sturdy to be opened by human hands, many pokemon can be trained to smash them, so trainers with the right pokemon see any travel through a beach as an opportunity to make a significant profit.

Dwebble, who live on these beaches, often hollow out local rocks for use as shells, and because of their tendency to hide their bodies in the sand, it is virtually impossible to distinguish a rock containing a Dwebble from one containing precious items. Trainers do not intentionally seek battles with the Dwebble, for a Dwebble shell has already been stripped of any useful items to make room for its resident, but these constant cases of mistaken identity see Dwebble and humans locked in a seemingly perpetual battle. Dwebble, after all, spend a great deal of time turning these rocks into homes, and their anger at seeing them smashed quite understandably leads to them fighting back, even against pokemon so much stronger that they can claim no realistic chance of victory.

The Dwebble are not endangered as a species from these smashes, for new rocks come in with every tide, ensuring both their continued targeting and their survival. But these pokemon lead very frustrated lives, and only the warm embrace of a trainer and their help in crafting a new rocky shell can allow them the security which humans and many pokemon take for granted. Once Dwebble realize that their shell is no longer in danger, these pokemon become extremely friendly and instantly tame, but until that realization comes they view all of humanity, including their trainers, with a bitter and impotent rage.


	558. Crustle

Crustle have long been known for the enormous, square-shaped rocks they carry on their backs, which they painstakingly carve from caves, mountains, or other large sources of stone and smash against each other when fighting over territory. Whichever Crustle's rock shatters first in these battles is the loser, and that Crustle must retreat, often to the very place they carved their stone in order to rebuild.

For Crustle, the large square shape of their rocks, unusual among rock pokemon, is a way to maximize their effectiveness in this strange combat; rounder rocks not only risk missing outright, but can not be built as large and still be carried by a Crustle, for the square shape distributes the weight of the stone evenly across the pokemon's back. For humans, who pile square rocks on top of each other for functions ranging from fortifications to shelter to monuments to their own greatness, this makes these pokemon the perfect workers.

Humans have at times attempted to enslave the Crustle or steal their rocks outright, but these efforts have met with failure, for humans are far more vulnerable than other Crustle to being smashed by these pokemon's rocks. Those who succeeded in using Crustle for construction did so not only by offering these pokemon ample treats and driving away rivals, but also in transporting them to quarries in covered vehicles, to ensure to the Crustle that they would not be left unprotected on the way back from hauling stones for construction. Crustle, however, are extremely solitary pokemon, dependent on a large territory; despite the best efforts of kings and nobles, these pokemon remain unable to work in teams. However, if the others of their species are driven off, a single Crustle can do the building of a hundred men.


	559. Scraggy

In Unova, Scraggy have long headbutted nearly everything in sight, and the local trees have had to grow thick trunks and deep roots to avoid being toppled by these pokemon. Scraggy have paid no mind to this increased stiffness, for their aggressive behavior is too deeply rooted in evolution to change, and their heads are too thick to lose anything from headbutting trees except time better spent headbutting more fragile targets.

In this global era, however, pokemon travel long distances with their trainers – or without them, for with the pokemon storage system has come a burgeoning trade in exotic pokemon for trainers who can not personally travel. A population of Scraggy – most domestic, some feral – has recently established itself in Johto in this way, and its growth has been catastrophic to both the region's less sturdy trees and the numerous pokemon who use these trees as nests.

Headbutting trees has long been practiced in Johto on occasion as a way to locate and capture these pokemon, who are often too difficult to spot or defeat when not at rest, but Scraggy have taken this to another level. Their penchant for headbutting trees topples habitat, for their headbutts are far stronger than those of the native pokemon, who only shake lose pokemon from the branches. It is also typically followed up by headbutting the pokemon who fall out of them, many of whom are sleeping or exhausted. Because most of Johto's Scraggy are domestic, these pokemon are challenged for the purpose of training, and rarely serve as food, but the sheer number of Scraggy challengers and vigor with which they train has made it impossible for many of Johto's pokemon to rest!


	560. Scrafty

Scrafty are not cruel-hearted pokemon, but they are combative creatures and deeply loyal to their comrades, tendencies which often combine to lead these pokemon to the wrong side of the law. It is not uncommon for a wild Scrafty to steal food, or to feel slighted by some insult (real or imagined) and respond with a challenge to battle, and this is one battle which they will not easily be dissuaded from fighting.

These instances understandably lead to police retaliation, and the Scrafty, interpreting the police as packs of rivals, respond by calling for backup. The weight of human arms and domestic pokemon is difficult for Scrafty to defeat, although in some small towns type advantages and the weakness of the local police force can leave these pokemon too dangerous to bother. But police victories typically fail to have lasting consequences, for the Scrafty's crimes are often too petty to justify lengthy imprisonment, and few bars can hold these powerful, muscular pokemon anyway.

In this age of city-states and reduced police budgets, many police departments have sought to find a way to dissuade conflict between townspeople and Scrafty. But few approaches have been effective, and the contempt which many officers hold for the Scrafty has reduced the effectiveness of those which should theoretically work. So far, the most successful way to reduce the violent conflict between Scrafty and police has been to leave the Scrafty alone entirely, for compensating the victims of their petty crimes has proven far less expensive than trying to keep these pokemon in check. But few towns in Unova have proven willing to openly follow this policy, for the cost of fighting the Scrafty is far less expensive than the shame of admitting defeat.


	561. Sigilyph

The city which the Sigilyph guard is no more, for although these pokemon were never defeated by invasion, they were unable to prevent an ecological catastrophe. Environmentally destructive farming practices turned the land which these pokemon guarded from a great metropolis to a shrinking one, and finally, when the last people left, into a ruin absorbed by the desert. But the watchful eye of the Sigilyph continued to protect this ghost town from thieves, and today it is one of the best preserved archaeological sites in Unova.

It is fortunate for the cause of human knowledge that the Sigilyph are psychic pokemon, for this meant they were able to read the hearts of archaeologists and determine that most of them lacked any ill intent. A few individuals – those motivated by fame or those wishing to steal the Sigilyph city's treasures for the prestige or payments of museums in distant towns – did meet the fate of many aspiring robbers, driven away by fierce winds and invisible walls. But those willing to dig with respect for these pokemon and the civilization which they have so long protected and wishing to advance the cause of knowledge saw the Sigilyph use their powers to aid their efforts, clearing their eyes from sandstorms and using telekinesis and ancient knowledge to lead them to parts of their city which would otherwise be left forever undiscovered.

When the city became a protected archaeological site, many of the Sigilyph flew away to explore, battle, and live lives that had been on hold for ages, for they considered their mission complete. Others remain, for they do not completely trust human institutions to keep their wondrous ruin safe from harm, or simply because, although it was abandoned by humans centuries ago, the Sigilyph still consider it home.


	562. Yamask

The worst thing any Unovan can say is "May you become a Yamask when you die." These ghost pokemon endure something far less than an afterlife, for although ghosts by definition have something which keeps them too tied to this world to move on to the next, most of them at least learn to enjoy their time in their new forms. For Yamask, however, happiness stops at death; all that is left for these pokemon is regret and mourning. A typically despondent Yamask will cry when they spot their mask for it drives home their present sorrows. In those rare instances where a Yamask distracts itself with other things, the sight of their own face in life twisted into a mask will still remind them of all that they failed to do when alive.

There are two known ways to a cheer a Yamask up. The first is to embrace it, for the warm touch of the living reminds these pokemon that although they are dead, they still can play a part in this world, and therefore need not mourn for the past. This method is difficult, however, as Yamask are ghosts, and the arms of most living creatures (including humans) simply go through them; only a few scrappy pokemon such as Kangaskhan can offer this consolation.

The other way to make Yamask happy is to turn their afterlife into an adventure. Although a lone Yamask does little but float in place and cry, Yamask are still pokemon, and are capable of all the battles and journeys this implies. A Yamask with friends and a trainer will slowly forget the pain of their past life, a process which is completed when they evolve into Cofagrigus – for Cofagrigus, although sometimes menacing, are as playful and happy ghosts as the Gengar.


	563. Cofagrigus

Because Cofagrigus evolve from Yamask, who are remarkably tied to their past lives even by the standards of ghost pokemon, it was once believed that the Cofagrigus who guard ancient tombs were the spirits of the very individuals whose bodies had been laid to rest within them. But this is not true; the elaborate, booby-trapped and treasure-filled tombs of ancient times were constructed precisely to convey the souls of the deceased to the afterlife, and leaving said departed there as a Cofagrigus would be entirely missing the point.

In truth, the vast majority of these Cofagrigus are forced to guard these tombs as penance. In life, most of these individuals were criminals bound to coffins by the clergy after death, although the ancient definitions of crime differed considerably from modern standards; some of these people were guilty of nothing more than striving to escape from slavery. It was once thought that a single Cofagrigus was forced by these curses to stand watch for thousands of years, but if this ever occurred it is a remarkably rare event restricted to only the most obscure tombs. Cofagrigus bound to tombs have one way to escape, and that is to find a replacement – typically a grave robber who is forced to pay the ultimate price and then some for their desecration of the dead.

A few Cofagrigus, however, lived exemplary lives and volunteered to guard tombs as an act of supreme devotion. In some cases, these pokemon were motivated when human by love for the deceased; in others, by gratitude for them, and in all, by the idea that those bound to guard tombs by magic could never do so with as much skill or determination as those motivated to stand watch by the ultimate loyalty.


	564. Tirtouga

When the Tirtouga were first resurrected from fossils, scientists noted that they would attempt to walk or swim in a single direction, as if guided to some place which was never within the bounds of the laboratory which revived them. A few Tirtouga were tagged and released to migrate wherever they pleased, although many were concerned that they would devastate the present ecosystem, which had evolved without the risk of Tirtouga predation since the Mesozoic era. Their concerns were somewhat assuaged by the small number of individuals involved, and otherwise overruled by the overwhelming weight of scientific curiosity.

These Tirtouga swam the length of the oceans, typically finding a beach on some foreign continent, but a few ventured far inland into territories which no water pokemon could call home. For a time, this behavior confused science, until it was realized that their closest living relatives, the Squirtle, had before their extinction in the wild been noted by historians to swim long distances to return to their place of birth, and it was hypothesized that Tirtouga were doing the exact same thing. This hypothesis was supported by the fact that every area the Tirtouga found which also produced fossils showed ones consistent with having been a beach in Mesozoic times, and the long migrations of the Tirtouga soon provided vital support for acceptance of the theory of continential drift.

Today, the placement of the continents in ancient times is generally understood, and many types of geological evidence have helped in drawing the map of the world as it was 100 million years ago. Yet gaps remain in humanity's understanding, and whenever a new fossil is revived, a resurrected Tirtouga continues to assist in mapping what had once been the coastline where these ancient pokemon laid their eggs.


	565. Carracosta

Although the Carracosta have been extinct for 100 million years, evolution is not purely an arms race, for mass extinctions and the need to find food have wiped out a great many species; conversely, weaker species who are able to breed quickly and feast on plant life have survived despite rarely winning a pokemon battle. Once resurrected from extinction, the Carracosta have made even Salamence or Garchomp tremble with their raw destructive power.

The heavy shell of the Carracosta has been compared to a knight's armor, but weighted clothing might be an equally apt comparison, for what they gain in defense is lost in power and speed. It is when these pokemon's shells are damaged that they truly shine; a Carracosta with no shell may be a glass cannon, but this is of little consequence when they outpace and knock out all their foes in a single attack.

The first Carracosta trainers removed their pokemon's shells outright before battles or whittled them to far less weight than their natural size. This tactic became a victim of its own success, for after these pokemon led their trainers to three straight Unovan championships, this method of preparation, which had begun to spread to other heavy-shelled pokemon like Cloyster, was declared illegal. Ostensibly this rule was made for the health of the pokemon who sacrificed their shells for battle, but evidence suggests that concern over the Carracosta's new-found dominance was an equally great motivator. Today, many heavy-shelled pokemon, Carracosta among them, have worked around this rule by using a legal technique from 100 million years ago – for far from treasuring their shells, the Carracosta were known to have at times intentionally damaged them, like their champion trainers, to bolster their own power.


	566. Archen

In the interests of science, I must use this space to rectify some popular misunderstandings about Archen, which unfortunately have moved from monster movies about prehistoric life into popular consciousness by way of poor paleontological education.

Contrary to popular belief, Archen were not twenty feet tall. Although they were relatively smart pokemon for their era, and like their descendents can claim eyesight on par with humanity's, this does not translate to being able to open locked doors, even when given a key (nor, indeed, were they strong enough to batter down fortresses.) These pokemon are indeed flying type, but they could only "climb" stairs with their wings. And as the continued safety of every scientist involved in the various fossil research projects has proven, despite the imaginations of many writers and film producers fearful of unleashing monstrous extinct pokemon on the world, Archen pose no threat whatsoever to individual humans, let alone Man as a species. And this is equally true of their evolved form of Archeops, who show no more hostility to mankind than its many modern avian descendants.

The villainous role taken by Archen in fiction has little to do with any dangers these pokemon pose to modern ecosystems, and a great deal to do with human anxieties over reviving extinct pokemon. Archen were second after Omanyte among the resurrected fossil pokemon, and although it is a stretch to turn these birds into villains, an Omanyte would struggle to terrify anyone at any exaggerated size. These tales date from a very early era in pokemon paleontology, and incorporate misconceptions which have been debunked as well as dramatic license – for instance, Archen are indeed juveniles, but they evolve into Archeops instead of expanding dramatically in size – and should be treated as science fiction, not biological fact.


	567. Archeops

Although Archeops are ancestral to all modern birds, one of this pokemon's most defining traits, to the gratitude of bird keepers everywhere, has not survived into modern times. When wounded, the more robust species of birds will typically perch on the ground or a tree branch to recover the damage at the cost of temporary flightlessness, while those with more fragile builds typically utilize their speed to go down fighting. Archeops, much to their trainers' chagrin, do neither.

Archeops are among the most powerful pokemon to ever fly above the world, but their power has come at the cost of their endurance. Their wings are the initial model of flight, with all the fragility and design flaws which that fact implies; they struggle to lift their own weight should any part of the body, not only the wing, be even modestly damaged. In the wild, wounded Archeops almost certainly flew away from any confrontation which left them wounded, for their ability to fight was dramatically impeded by injury. This behavior is known less from the fossil record than from the herculean efforts which modern Archeops trainers make to prevent their own pokemon from doing the exact same thing – for even a wounded Archeops can deal some damage to their opponents, even if barely half as much as before.

Of far more interest to modern bird keepers is the brilliant, rainbow-colored plumage of these pokemon. Although many modern avian species use bright colors to communicate their type or attract a mate, it has often been opined that Archeops' feathers are more beautiful than any of its descendants, and that their loss in modern birds is a great tragedy of evolution – although as birds from Pidgeot to Chatot demonstrate, the loss is not nearly as universal as this lament implies.


	568. Trubbish

It is said that Arceus created most of the pokemon, Man created a few, such as Porygon, and that Giratina, Yveltal, or some other wicked, twisted god created the Trubbish. In truth, Man created the Trubbish too, but not by design, at least not anymore than Man designed clouds of smog, burning rivers, or global warming. Humanity created Trubbish not by desire, but by capriciousness, for they gladly mixed garbage and industrial waste despite many scientists warning of the consequences.

Yet Trubbish, for all their origins in pollution and possible associated health hazards, have done little to earn their awful reputation. Although it is true that their poison gas is so toxic that it can land people and pokemon in week-long comas, it is rarely acknowledged that Trubbish use it only as a last resort, and only when they believe either themselves or their trainers to be in mortal peril. Their body may be partially toxic, but this is common among single-typed poison pokemon, and any poison trainer should know how to remedy this issue. Nor is it widely acknowledged that by the standards of pokemon danger, the Trubbish are relatively weak; there are many pokemon which hurt or kill humans when threatened, and a few which even do so intentionally, but they are far older, more "natural" species, so are rarely considered abominations.

Pollution may have created the Trubbish, but despite their unusual origins and genetic structure, in behavior they are a pokemon like any other. Trubbish laugh, they cry, they smile, they defend their friends, and they fight their hearts out for those few trainers willing to give these pokemon a chance. And despite their origins in humanity's rampant disregard for the environment, I do not know what more that Man can ask for in a pokemon.


	569. Garbodor

Although Garbodor primarily feed on toxic chemicals, and are typically used to absorb factory emissions and clean up hazardous waste dumps, these pokemon are capable of feeding on most types of garbage, and are therefore often used by protesters to demonstrate that certain items are in fact trash. Garbodor are often fed items ranging from the texts of rival religions and political ideologies to copies of violent video games as a show of contempt, typically in well-advertised public ceremonies, although the actual attendance of this ceremony varies dramatically based on the unpopularity of the items being fed to this pokemon.

The size of the crowd, however, has far more to do with whether the items in question are truly trash than the appetites of the Garbodor do, for it is human society which separates garbage from useful items. Garbodor care not about the contents of their food, but their chemical composition, and will devour discarded books or toys regardless of the messages contained within; they require only that their owners have no more use for them before they feast.

There are two occasions where a Garbodor will refuse food. The first is when the metal content of the food is too high, for these poison pokemon struggle mightily with steel and other metals. The second is when an item has been thrown away by accident or malice, for these pokemon possess the mysterious ability to read the feelings of the object's rightful owner. In these instances, not only will Garbodor refuse to devour the items, whether fed directly or from a garbage can, but they will waddle for as long as it takes to carry the discarded "garbage" back to its owner. Sadly, many people refuse to take these items back, for they consider them contaminated by a Garbodor's touch.


	570. Zorua

As of this writing, there is no such thing as successful human cloning, and scattered reports of pokemon cloning via dark rituals of pokemon sacrifice or hacking into international trade networks can not be verified. Many individuals, among them the very scientists attempting these forbidden projects, have been fooled into believing otherwise through the remarkable trickery of the Zorua. Zorua have long been considered the pokemon world's experts at disguise, and the copies they make are in appearance if not in form as accurate as a Ditto's. But unlike the Ditto, Zorua use their transformations to avoid battles, for few humans or pokemon are willing to battle with someone who looks not only like their species, but like their very reflection.

A Zorua can not utilize the techniques of those it copies in combat, and a single attack is enough to strip away its disguise, but neither of these methods, so effective in revealing the hoax in pokemon battles, apply in human society. When faced with a stranger – even one identical in appearance to those whose DNA had been used in recent experiments – shock, not violence, is the typical reaction, And without violence to break the ruse, the similarities in form of these Zorua to the "cloned", along with the natural human bias towards one's own efforts, convinces even the most rational individuals that they have done the impossible.

At some times, the ruse was broken when a Zorua, unfamiliar with human technology, submitted to DNA testing; at others, when it forgot its new form and battled of its own accord. Not all Zorua have yet been personally revealed, but barring extraordinary evidence to the contrary, it can be safely assumed that current claims of successful clones, like past ones, refer only to Zorua in disguise.


	571. Zoroark

It is said that at some points deep in the Unovan wilderness, reality stops working the way it should. Pokemon do not move around trees or climb them, but phase through them while they walk. Rivers and streams cease to run and turn still, while water pokemon swim upon dry land. And every now and then, at the deepest corner of this bizarre forest, a flash of black fur moves into a pit in the ground, or a cave, or a large bush, and reality warps behind it.

All of this is true, or at least it appears to be so, and none except the Zoroark at its source can reliably tell the difference. Zoroark are a rare pokemon whose considerable fighting power is insufficient to protect their nests from predators, especially given their low fertility rate and the slow growth of their young, so they instead protect their lairs through elaborate illusions. Zoroark do not only gather food, but also any item they consider treasure, and although their definition of treasure differs considerably from humanity's, it is said that a Zoroark lair rivals the greatest of Hoenn's secret bases in splendor.

Only a chosen few have ever claimed to be invited into a Zoroark lair, and these few are individuals renowned for some sort of greatness. Most notably among them, at least in recent years, was a mysterious boy named "N", who played a leading role in Team Plasma, could speak with pokemon, and was at times rumored to be a Zoroark himself. The marvelous castle which he built in the Pokemon League is said to be an attempt to recreate that lair with human tools, although both he and his rival maintain that the true homes of wild Zoroark are places far stranger, and far greater.


	572. Minccino

At the time every year when autumn gives way to the chills of winter, the Minccino emerge like an army from their burrows to clean away every fallen leaf in sight. Although these pokemon are capable of feeding on dead leaves, and do consider this season a feast, the amount of leaves dropped from Unova's trees dwarfs even their enormous appetites, and most leaves are simply swept away by their broom like tails – wherever "away" may be.

What the Minccino care about is not, as many have imagined, some divine sense of cleanliness or order, but the practical concern that the tall grass and shrubs on which these pokemon feed are not strangled by a coat of dead leaves. This is demonstrated by their lack of concern for where the leaves go, whether they are stuffed in dead trees, swept into other pokemon's burrows, or swept onto paved roads in human cities, although many towns have had success in directing wild Minccino to sweep leaves into compost piles.

The Minccino do not practice true agriculture, any more than Pachirisu do by burying nuts, but their instinctual behavior has much of the same effect; when Unova was first settled, many are reputed to have been amazed that grasses grew under trees in the absence of human cultivation. That it is instinct can be demonstrated by the so-called "green floor experiment", for in captivity these pokemon will just as vigorously clear away all sorts of human detritus, provided that the surface they clear is green. Many Minccino trainers, grateful for their pokemon's assistance, have carpeted their whole houses in that color, while others extirpate all traces of green from their house, for a Minccino's idea of cleanliness is often at odds with knowing the locations of one's own possessions.


	573. Cinccino

The soft, white fur of the Cinccino is capable of deflecting a great many types of attacks, and has stymied many an opposing trainer. Cinccino are virtually immune to an expanding, never-ending list of types and attacks which many find impossible to keep up with. But as their failure to dominate the high ranks of the Unovan pokemon league compellingly demonstrates, these pokemon, much to the chagrin of their trainers, are not actually invincible.

Despite the remarkable deflective power of their white scarf, most Cinccino fur is gray and not particularly absorbent, and the key to defeating a Cinccino is to take advantage of that fact. This can be done through either focused attacks too quick for even a Cinccino to move their scarf in time, or more commonly through wide-ranging attacks of which a Cinccino's scarf is not wide enough to absorb more than a small portion. These weaknesses are known to elite trainers, who have inevitably learned how to get past a Cinccino, but many individuals remain stalled at the lower levels, either because they can not figure out how to defeat a Cinccino or because they lack pokemon capable of actually beating them.

Every pokemon has their weaknesses, and not solely in type matchups; this exploration of them is not to suggest that discovering Cincinno's turns them into pushovers. Although these pokemon do struggle with many common high-level attacks, such as Earthquake, others such as Ice Beam are too narrow to damage them. A few Cinccino trainers use items such as Brightpowder and attacks such as Double Team to maximize their evasion and learn to win at the highest levels, but many others, so accustomed to dominance in their early careers, struggle to adapt to opponents who have figured out to fight back.


	574. Gothita

Many people and pokemon have been disturbed by the intense stares of the Gothita, whether they or some far-off tree was the recipient of said stare, for their gaze does not seem to correspond to anything in this reality. These pokemon will watch stillness as closely, if not more so, than most would watch movement, and the inevitable attempts by onlookers to challenge Gothita to a staring contest, although successful in altering temporarily their target of attention, inevitably end in failure.

Gothita are typically described as psychic pokemon, but perhaps astral or extra-dimensional would be a more apt appellation, for their powers rely less on controlling minds than on manipulating the invisible and unseen. The reason these two forms of attack are associated is not an arbitrary one, for the effect in our own world is remarkably similar, but the mechanism which Gothita use is different, alien, and wholly dependent on grasping aspects of this hidden environment which even these pokemon struggle to see. A Gothita's vision is perfect for viewing our world, but can only dimly see the world of alternate dimensions and invisible light which these pokemon rely on for self-defense against our own.

A Gothita's acknowledgment of the unknown, although a boon in dealing with our world, also places them in danger from forces with which humanity and most pokemon need never contend. The fact that Gothita stare at them or manipulate their world is not unnoticed by the lifeforms of that strange alternate realm, and the corollary that they can do the same back is not lost on these spirits. It is not rare for hapless Gothita to fall horribly ill or die from maladies which fail to even register on pokemon center scanners.


	575. Gothorita

The remarkable vision of the Gothorita extends not only into alternate realms, but through the entire spectrum of starlight, which they control in mysterious ways which bear only the slightest resemblance to either the methods of grass pokemon or of modern technology. It is believed that in outer space, without the shielding of these many forms of starlight by the planet's atmosphere, Gothorita and their evolved form of Gothitelle would be the most powerful pokemon of all. However, no spaceships have yet been built which are capable of withstanding a pokemon battle, so Gothorita have been thus far restricted to fighting on Earth, where they must perform elaborate rituals to absorb enough starlight to channel it in combat.

This ritual was far harder in historic times, where Gothorita were few, far between, and forced to rely on a great many strategies which have been supplanted by starlight in the modern species. The hole in the ozone layer, so destructive to other pokemon life, is believed to have contributed heavily to the rise of Gothorita in recent years. Where their predecessors were forced to be inventive in sourcing their power, traveling to high mountains to gain energy and abducting human children to aid them, modern Gothorita need only arrange a few floating, mysterious stones to be assured of enough light for a week's worth of battle.

These changes in Gothorita's power have just as strongly impacted their reputation among mankind. Ancient Gothorita were feared, but as lowly spirits who were dangerous only if they should find a child with no adults around, for they were relatively easy to fight off. Their modern counterparts have seen their reputation rehabilitated, in a sense – for although they no longer scare young children, they have become far more threatening to pokemon trainers!


	576. Gothitelle

It is said that should one ever be forced to battle Dialga, they should bring a Gothitelle, for these pokemon exist outside of Dialga's power of time. This is not entirely true, although they probably remain any trainer's best bet, for although a Gothitelle's remarkably long life is constrained by time, they can see for many thousands of years into both the past and the future.

A Gothitelle's future sight does not reach to infinity, for that would leave them insane and virtually blind; a single location simultaneously viewed through billions of years is too complex and confusing for even these pokemon's remarkable minds to process. But there is a great deal which the Gothitelle can see, from the locations of burnt-out stars and those whose light has yet to reach earth to the lives of their trainers, their ancestors, their descendants, and the entire histories of their hometowns.

Should Gothitelle freely share their knowledge with humanity, a great deal of guesswork in the physical and natural scientists would be replaced with certainty. But in most cases, they refuse to do so, for the brutality of the past often depresses these pokemon, and the future in many instances can be altered by observations. There are two exceptions to this; the first is astronomy, for nothing in the power of Man or Pokemon, even thousands of years in the future, will be able to alter the stars. The second is the source of their trainers' deaths, a haunting sight which they will do anything to avoid, but which mortality means they can never prevent. All the Gothitelle can do is keep rolling the dice until they arrive at either a long life and a death free of regret, or a tragedy which they can not stop through their warnings and powers.


	577. Solosis

Although Solosis are among the oldest pokemon on this world, and controversy remains as to whether or not they predate all multicellular life, science can not securely place this pokemon's genesis on Earth. Solosis, after all, are capable of surviving on this world's most extreme environments, and evidence from the outside of spacecraft suggests that even the vacuum of outer space is not enough to kill these creatures. For this reason, it is impossible to prove that these pokemon originated on our planet, for their cell structures differ dramatically from those found in most pokemon life, and a meteor, comet, or other celestial object could just as easily have brought them here from far beyond.

If this is indeed the case, however, then there are fundamental similarities in the makeup of their alien minds with our own, and perhaps with all life in the universe – for Solosis have little difficulty communicating with pokemon species on this world through telepathy. To be sure, this could be a derived skill from evolution, for Solosis lifespans are nothing against the eons of time which have passed since the Cambrian expansion – but the remarkable stability of these pokemon over time suggested by the fossil record makes it highly unlikely that they have evolved at all, save of course for turning into Duosion through age and experience.

However, the possibility that Solosis evolved in space should not be mistaken for proof of that fact, for our world hosts the origin of the vast majority of known pokemon. Even if Solosis originated here, however, these mysterious, highly divergent organisms remain highly useful for our understanding of the universe, simply because they are capable of surviving in the rest of it. Should humans ever colonize the galaxy, the genetics of Solosis shall teach them how.


	578. Duosion

Whenever a Solosis reaches a certain age, it begins to undergo mitosis, which typically leads to the birth of two new Solosis. A few of these pokemon, however, fear that dividing their power shall make them too weak to triumph and attempt to halt this process, while others, especially in captivity, find simply that there is no room to create a twin. Whenever this happens, a Solosis undergoes an incomplete division, with two closely related minds and an altered cell structure to accommodate them inhabiting the same body, and a Duosion is born.

Duosion do not quarrel like multi-headed pokemon, for the one thing which unites these heads by definition is the desire not to endure the weakness which comes from a full cell division. But the two minds have already divided from their predecessor, and do not have clearly delineated influence over respective parts of the body. When a Duosion thinks in unison with itself, it is a powerful pokemon, its psychic attacks second to none among pokemon yet to fully evolve. But far more often its minds clash and the Duosion becomes frozen by conflicting instructions, or its body attempts to do opposite things at once, with hilariously incompetent results.

Duosion, for all their power, are an incomplete pokemon, and can be meaningfully compared to Metapod or Kakuna in the changes taking place within. Their minds and bodies, not quite separated, attempt to merge back into themselves, but what is done can not be undone. When a Duosion's two minds finally manage to reunite, the result is not another Solosis – even a giant one, but something far more powerful.

Reuniclus do not undergo cell division, for they are born when the halves of the Duosion reunite, and they are strong and traumatized enough to prevent mitosis outright.


	579. Reuniclus

It has long been noted that when two or more Reuniclus join hands, their thoughts join together and their power is dramatically amplified. Under modern rules which ban multiple pokemon of a single species from being teammates, and in an age when two wild Reuniclus is a high number to encounter in a lifetime, this sight is typically one relegated to the history books. But physical contact with a Reuniclus also has notable effects in a great many other species, although it does not nearly so mightily amplify their power.

When two other people or pokemon are linked by a Reuniclus' touch, their three brains merge together for a brief moment into a strange union of telepathy and perfect understanding. When the link is dissolved, the Reuniclus is unaffected by the mind meld, but they function as a conduit for everything from memories to sensations of pain – and serves to determine who is left with which. The ramblings of madmen and horror stories aside, there is no evidence that a Reuniclus can use these powers without the consent of both parties, but this is not to say that those melded by a Reuniclus' hand tend to be happy with their decisions.

When pokemon trainers use their Reuniclus' power to win matches, it is typically in either triple battles or through pokeballs to manipulate the levels of damage the pokemon believe themselves to have taken. This process is controversial and at times dangerous; the other use of Reuniclus is dramatically moreso. For Reuniclus can not only transfer memories and knowledge of the dying (as is the custom of many in Unova who fear losing everything with death) but provide relief from the most awful of physical and mental maladies, provided the victim can persuade someone else to absorb their pain.


	580. Ducklett

The sky above the Driftveil Drawbridge is noted for its fierce winds, and most Unovan birds will take long detours around it for fear of being knocked into the water. Ducklett, however, are both courageous and semi-aquatic pokemon, so they consider it not a barrier, but a challenge – one which many of them valiantly triumph over. Other Ducklett are not so lucky, however, and passengers over this bridge are often treated to sight of these majestic blue pokemon shedding many of their valuable feathers, which can be sold for a tidy profit. They are also, from time to time, witness to a hapless Ducklett, caught in a breeze it can not escape from, falling out of the sky onto the bridge itself.

The Ducklett of Unova are ferociously proud pokemon, and only this experience of defeat – not at a trainer's hands, but at nature's – can allow one to be tamed. Luckily for aspiring trainers, they also fall so commonly that one or two can be found at every crossing of the bridge. The resistance these pokemon show is token and halfhearted by wild pokemon standards, and many passing trainers actually reject them for that reason, believing this effort is all the Ducklett can give. Others throw poke balls at them immediately, believing them to have been badly injured from the storm; in truth, these Ducklett are at full health, simply disinclined to protest.

A Ducklett's down is remarkably soft and capable of cushioning any blow, and its wings, although too weak to fly over the bridge in these winds, still easily prevent a crash landing. The wound the Ducklett suffer is not to their bodies, but to their pride, and humans are tools they use to heal that wound - through training, and ultimately through victories.


	581. Swanna

The long, manueverable necks of Swanna, which they use to maneuver their beaks for pecking, have often been compared to swords, In addition to their battles recalling the great samurai masters, they possess remarkable flexibility, and their thick feathers and a strong bone structure allow them to endure the blows of real swords. In some ways, however, spears or pikes are a better comparison, for the neck is not bladed like a Skarmory's and the Swanna must rely on their beaks to deal actual damage.

This fact, however, means that Swanna battles for dominance last longer and look far more impressive than actual sword fights, so their choreography is often used to replicate them on stage and in Pokestar Studios. Very few historical matches, even between elite samurai, can match the Swanna in either the beauty or length of the battle, although most of them would have had little difficulty going around their necks to defeat a Swanna in combat.

Swanna matches are thought to have originated as competition for mates, but this purpose has long since become secondary; females will participate in this combat with males, and all species will watch in admiration. Although highly beautiful and ritualized – traits which have made Swanna long prized in pokemon contests – the objective of their clashing necks, beaks, and water attacks is ultimately victory. It is the biology of the Swanna, not their penchant for showmanship, which makes these matches last so long, but showmanship has a great deal to do with making them battle in the first place. For although the Swanna certainly seek victory once they begin to fight, they fight for adulation and will fly long distances together in search of an audience before beginning to spar; Swanna consider a triumph to mean nothing without witnesses.


	582. Vanillite

Although Vanillite bear a strong resemblance to the Casteliacone – a popular regional snack which can heal nearly any status ailment – they are anything but delicious. It is not particularly rare for people to mistake a Vanillite, especially when sleeping or outside snowbanks, for a free Casteliacone, but a single lick will painfully demonstrate the difference.

Vanillite are ice pokemon, with as cold a body temperature as that implies, and when these pokemon contact bare skin – including that of the tongue – it is enough to instantly freeze a human. Those individuals unlucky or absentminded enough to lick a Vanillite will find not a cold treat, but a painful and embarrassing situation, for human muscles are insufficient to pry a Vanillite loose. Should the Vanillite be awake at the time, this is not a major issue, for these pokemon no more like being frozen to human tongues than the humans do, and will promptly float away. However, awake Vanillite are far more mobile and have open eyes, so are rarely mistaken for Casteliacones to begin with; far more commonly, the hapless Vanillite licker will walk around with an open mouth while shivering with a Vanillite stuck to their tongue in search of someone who can remove them.

Detaching a Vanillite is not a particularly complex matter. Most human trainers know better than to let their Vanillite sleep outdoors, so a poke ball can usually solve this problem; even if it is not actually caught, the process of materializing after the poke ball fails is enough to remove it from a human's tongue. But individuals who enjoy Casteliacones need not be pokemon trainers, nor know one nearby, and a prolonged case of Vanillite tongue can require extensive medical care to heal.


	583. Vanillish

It is said that on dark winter nights in Unova, the snow itself turns into an enemy. From mountains to building overhangs on snow-covered roads, anywhere the icicles hang, the winter weather ceases to be a force of nature and becomes a vengeful spirit, pelting unhappy travelers with snow and hail until they barely escape with their lives, or are found dead in a snowdrift when it melts.

There is truth in these rumors, but the culprits are not otherworldly spirits, but a well-attested and very much living species of pokemon: Vanillish. These pokemon can manipulate water molecules to become nearly invisible above their icicle lower half, and when visibility is already poor from darkness and snowstorms, they easily pass undetected by human eyes. These pokemon are not malicious, at least not towards humans; although they react to movement, they will call off their attacks once it becomes clear that they are fighting not prey pokemon, but weary human travelers.

Tales of humans found dead in snow can not be reliably traced back to the Vanillish, and can be cautiously ascribed to genuine freak storms and the exaggerations of campfire folktales. If Vanillish played any role in these deaths at all, it was as powerless bystanders, for these pokemon have no arms, no capacity to heal others, and do not truly control the weather, only disguise their attacks as storms. The most any Vanillish can do is freeze predators, and this is something many of them accomplish, but hypothermia is the most typical cause of death, so this can do nothing more than buy rescuers time.


	584. Vanilluxe

Although in modern times their straws are more often imagined as a way to drink a Vanilluxe slushie, it was once said that Vanilluxe use their straws to steal all the warmth from the air until it becomes so cold that these pokemon can live comfortably. In truth, these pokemon do not absorb heat but moisture, for absorbing heat would do nothing but melt them faster, and attempting to drink one through their straw would require suction far stronger than any known pokemon; it would be like deflating a human through their nose. Paradoxically, the presence of sufficient Vanilluxe does serve to drain moisture from the air, and a large concentration of these pokemon can make it impossible to snow.

The arctic and antarctic are called deserts for their low levels of precipitation, although they are blanketed not with sand but with what little snow they do receive, accumulated for centuries; it is too cold for this snow to never melt. Once, the snow towered far higher, forming vast glaciers which blanketed the continents and carried the native pokemon – Vanilluxe among them – vast distances across the world, covering much of what is now temperate climates under thick sheets of ice. But as the snow piled up, the Vanilluxe population expanded, for the arctic had become an even more favorable habitat, and glaciation – reduced by falling levels of moisture - first became insufficient to take these pokemon away, then the Vanilluxe grew so numerous that it stopped entirely.

It is the high Vanilluxe population at the poles which accounts for the current interglacial period, and for this reason scientists are closely monitoring them. Should anything cause their population to crash, as has happened many times in prehistory, the world will once again become covered in arctic ice.


	585. Deerling

The reckoning of seasons in Unova, with its sharp divides that do not necessarily correlate to either the length of the day or any sharp changes in the weather, is based on the color of the local Deerling's fur. Deerling shed their coats four times a year, replacing them with ones intended to provide more effective camouflage – pink for the flowers of spring, green for the grass of summer, tan for the leaves of autumn, and a dark brown for the broken branches and dead plants of winter. The timing of this shedding is imprecise, for not only does nature never change as abruptly as these pokemon do, but their fur is on a biological cycle exactly three months long (which although not perfect from an evolutionary perspective, is certainly an advantage over the fur of their predecessors, which did not change color at all) while the phases of plant life which it emulates are far more affected by local weather conditions.

For much of Unovan history, most people were farmers who determined the season by local plant life, and the so-called "Deerling calendar" was only used for large national festivals. But in the industrial revolution, regularity and synchronization became far more important for most people than the actual state of local flora, and the approximations represented by the Deerling calendar came into complete regional use. It has failed to spread to the rest of the world, however, where seasons are less extreme and Deerling rare if not unknown.

On the first of every Unovan "month" (a term used loosely, for the Deerling calendar is seasonal and its months take over three lunar cycles) travelers across Unova venture to routes six and seven to see the Deerling's new fur coats and celebrate the coming of new seasons.


	586. Sawsbuck

A Sawsbuck's plant-covered antlers, or "plantlers" as they are sometimes known, do not solely brilliantly demonstrate the changes of the seasons, but also serve as their bearers' primary weapons. In spring, summer, or fall, these antlers are covered in strange flowering plants which have a symbiotic relationship with the Sawsbuck; in exchange for a high perch which gives them easy access to sunlight, they must aid these pokemon by leeching health from their foes.

In winter, Sawsbuck's antlers are instead covered in ice, and although they are still typically considered to be partially grass pokemon this is probably a misclassification. Sawsbuck in winter do not carry hardier plants, but a coating of ice and snow, which they will gladly use to get revenge on flying pokemon for the prior three seasons of defeats. Because Sawsbuck cease to change with the seasons after capture, those who own winter Sawsbuck must train them accordingly, teaching them how to better hurl snow with their antlers at their foes and use them as the source of a variety of ice attacks, along with a few water moves, for snow quickly melts in the summer sun. Many of these trainers, however, consider themselves specialists in grass pokemon, and win type coverage through these Sawsbuck, who rarely learn a single grass attack, while hewing closely to their official classification to justify their continued use.

It is generally thought that just as enormous differences exist between the potential techniques of the other three seasons of Sawsbuck, but trainers thus far have yet to discover them. In recent years, many inquisitive trainers have focused on the flowering Sawsbuck of springtime, but efforts to teach their flowers how to use spore attacks have so far ended in failure.


	587. Emolga

Emolga are not technically gliders, as many ancient scientists imagined, but are capable of true flight. When extensive observation of Emolga revealed that they could fly for as long as most birds, early science became fascinated, for the design seemed much simpler than that of true birds and need not depend on a hollow structure. (The lighter-than-air body of the Drifblim, which ultimately inspired ballooning, was ignored in this era; it was thought at the time that ghost pokemon levitated because they were undead, not because of anything which could be explained by science.) Attempts by humans to replicate this technique, however, have ended primarily in pain and failure.

At first it was believed, in spite of even the aerodynamic logic of the time, that one need only build flaps of material similar to an Emolga's wings and place them in the same place to allow for true flight, however this method was incapable of so much as halting one's fall; many brave human pioneers and unwitting pokemon test subjects lost their lives that way. Then it was thought to place the wings above the body and expand them to account for greater human bone density, an experiment which led to the invention of parachutes, but which did not fulfill man's dream to truly take to the skies.

After decades of failure and observation, improved monitoring devices took note of the small jolts of electricity emitted by Emolga whenever they altered their flight pattern, and the true nature of their flight was confirmed. Blinded by their dreams to the dangers, a true set of Emolga wings was finally designed, but the inaugural flight was ended by the pilot shocking himself into unconsciousness soon after takeoff.


	588. Karrablast

Although there are a few pokemon, such as Slowpoke, which evolve in conjunction with other species, Karrablast is the only one of these pokemon known to evolve through theft. To become an Escavalier, a Karrablast must steal a Shelmet's shell. The Shelmet resent this, although it causes them to evolve as well, for a Shelmet's weakness has given them cowardice, and they see only defenselessness in evolving.

For wild Karrablast, evolution is a great challenge, for although Shelmet are technically bugs, a Karrablast's corrosive acid - their primary weapon in this phase - can not penetrate Shelmet's steel shells. Few wild Karrablast succeed in their chase, and the determination and futility of their efforts has inspired many a classic Unovan cartoon, where characters based on the Karrablast will attempt a series of elaborate, intelligent ruses to chase Shelmet from their shells, which can only ever succeed when the cartoonist is retiring their characters. In reality, Karrablast are not nearly so creative; although they will take every opportunity offered, they are rarely able to create their own. Shelmet are too heavy, and Karrablast's limbs too weak, to push them out while sleeping, and Karrablast efforts to terrify them typically lead only to the Shelmet closing their shells.

The most reliable way for a Karrablast to evolve is with the aid of a third species, Man, who conspire to switch their Shelmet and Karrablast with one another for the sake of evolution. Most Karrablast, after many failed efforts, in time come to understand this fact and eagerly seek out capture. These pokemon have even been known to climb into empty pokeballs while their trainer is sleeping – which for all its difficulty is far easier than robbing a Shelmet!


	589. Escavalier

Escavalier have often been compared to medieval knights, especially those who engaged in jousting tournaments, and it is true that given a Rapidash and a saddle carefully designed for their bodies (for they have no legs worthy of the name) these pokemon could probably beat the real thing in combat. However, Escavalier have no mounts, nor do their bodies, balanced on a single, fin-shaped limb, allow them any realistic way to ride other pokemon. As for the prospect of human-built saddles, Unova has no native mounts apart from Scolipede, whose necks are so tall they would leave an Escavalier rider blinded, so until the Age of Discovery mounted combat would be impossible even with human help.

The Escavalier's long, pointed arms, however, are used as much for locomotion as weaponry. The spears which pierce their foes can just as easily pierce dirt or grass – or pavement or flooring, much to their trainers' chagrin – and by spearing the ground, these pokemon dig in enough to walk. Should they be faced with a battle, these pokemon dismount instantly, and become nearly immobilized for the course of their battle. They compensate for this disadvantage in a variety of ways; through ranged attacks, the steel armor they stole from Shelmet in evolution, and their extremely long reach which can function as two pikes should any pokemon seek to attack them head-on.

There are no known reports of knights in medieval plate armor crossing the Atlantic to Unova, but contact with what cavalrymen were used in history's wars can allow one to surmise the likely result to this popular question. An Escavalier is too low to the ground for any knight to reach in the absence of gunpowder, and they can easily topple any rider by targeting their mount's legs. However, Rapidash breathe fire, which is Escavalier's sole weakness.


	590. Foongus

It is not particularly difficult to mistake a Foongus in tall grass for the top half of a poke ball, try to pick it up, and fall asleep or be left poisoned or paralyzed for one's troubles. This mistake is an easy one, because many of Unova's poke balls use two of these pokemon, instead of a hollowed out Voltorb corpse, as a base. But it is also a deception the Foongus use to their advantage; many wild pokemon approach the Foongus when there is a trainer sufficiently nearby to be mistaken for the "poke ball's" owner, only to become a host for these parasitic pokemon.

The poke ball was invented independently in at least two locations, and the first Foongus looked little like the capsules we know today. They were wholly white in color, and so large that it was impractical to carry them on a belt, or even in most pockets. Early Unovan trainers carried their poke balls in their hand or kept them in their backpack, but the import of Voltorb balls offered far greater convenience.

Wild Foongus had learned a parasitic strategy very soon after they began being harvested for poke balls, for they needed to mature fast enough to survive and reproduce even with the potential of being turned into half of a poke ball. By the time Voltorb balls came to Unova, these Foongus had grown dependent on absorbing nutrients through deception; when their own poke balls were replaced among trainers, wild pokemon no longer mistook Foongus for trainers' balls, so the Foongus were forced to quickly emulate Voltorb's color and size or die trying. This is why Foongus today bear such a strong resemblance to half of a Voltorb, and why poke balls made from the two can not be distinguished in stores.


	591. Amoonguss

The poke ball shaped head and arms of Amoonguss, unlike those of their first form, are useless for creating actual poke balls. The head is far too large to be mistaken for one, despite the similar pattern, so Amoonguss attempt to lure in prey not through their head but their arms. However, most Amoonguss are simply too tall to pull this off; their heads are visible above the grass, and their prey take notice of this fact and do not mistake their identities.

Humans, however, have made use of the Amoonguss by aiding their disguise. Historically, poke balls were kept in a trainer's pocket – hence the name – and it was a common tactic in warfare to place Amoonguss in one pocket and poke balls in the other, so when enemies tried to knock away a trainer's reserve pokemon, they would often find themselves asleep, paralyzed, or poisoned. This tactic continued in a different form into pokemon battles for sport; an Amoonguss' spores are very difficult to spot, so using these pokemon was an extremely easy way to cheat.

In time, the Amoonguss problem became so severe that Unova's pokemon league banned putting pokemon in one's pocket outright, and instead required trainers to wear all six balls on their belt, where there is no room for an Amoonguss to hide. Today, increased inspection technology makes this a moot point, and the rule now only applies to Amoonguss trainers, but the convenience of belts has made the name of pockets (or perhaps of pokemon) an anachronism, for few trainers wish to go back to fumbling around a deep pocket to find the right poke ball.


	592. Frillish

Frillish are quite common in Unovan waters, and widely noted for their extreme gender variance in color; the females are pink, the males blue. Their numbers, although never low, increase dramatically after tragedies involving children, so it is generally believed in Unova that a Frillish's body represents a child's soul, which becomes a ghost because it was bitter that it did not get to live a full life on this world. Although there is little in the way of confirmation of this fact, the study of ghost pokemon is still its in infancy, and absent any evidence to the contrary, folk wisdom and the desires of grieving parents have made this speculation widely accepted among Unovans.

As a corollary to this belief, the spirits of male and female children were sought to replicate a Frillish's colors, and each became widely associated first with decorations for infants, but ultimately with an entire gender. That many who die become other ghost pokemon rarely figures into this consideration – few are ever dressed in gold or black for Yamask, for instance, because a Frillish's afterlife is much happier.

In truth, male Frillish are blue to move stealthily through the water, while females use pink to draw others to their brilliance and devour them. Frillish are only halfway dead, and unlike other ghosts still must hunt for food; it is this, not any colors of souls, which accounts for their shade. In truth, the closest things to colors souls have are auras, but these are associated with pokemon type; a pink aura means psychic, not Frillish. The two hunting styles are in fact gendered to ensure that should either method fail, the Frillish pod would migrate elsewhere – perhaps to a healthier sea, or perhaps to the land of the dead.


	593. Jellicent

Every now and then, a mysterious ship drifts emptily into shore, showing no signs of struggle or damage to account for the mass disappearance of their crews. All on board are typically never seen again, and society reckons them to be among the dead, but the truth is far stranger.

These ships have been boarded by Jellicent, who absorb the crew with their vast size in their permeable bodies and dive vast distances to the bottom of the sea. The men (and rarely, in more recent years, women) on board are protected inside the Jellicent's body for the dive, and spend this time breathing the air within these pokemon and slowly adjusting to air pressure through the Jellicent's mysterious power.

When the sailors reach the bottom of the ocean, they find not the dank, formless voids which radar and submarines have thus far discovered, but a vibrant sunken city lit by undersea vents. The buildings are composed of sunken ships and other flotsam, shaped by tentacles into rounded architecture, and the entire city rests beneath an awesome Jellicent-shaped dome. Here, the discarded sailors bring their human technology, giving these intelligent pokemon everything from poke balls to maps and compasses, although they can only offer what is in their pockets and what they can reconstruct from memory.

Many of these sailors live happy, full lives in their new homes, the sorrow of separation from everything they know in time replaced by the wonder and new joys of the undersea Jellicent world. A few, however, become homesick, and fewer still journey home; those who succeed at this escape must perform a feat rarely paralleled in human history. Should they return to shore, they are often mistaken for imposters, and always considered mad whenever they tell their bizarre story.


	594. Alomomola

Alomomola did not evolve from Luvdisc, although the two species are distantly related, but the first Hoenn residents to reach Unova did in fact mistake it for an evolution – and given that Alomomola are significantly stronger in many ways, many Luvdisc trainers even today have been disappointed to learn of this significantly more distant relationship. However, the two swiftly became associated in the popular consciousness, and through this process Alomomola have often been associated with the power of love.

Alomomola lack many of the qualities, such as the ability to reawaken memories, which have seen Luvdisc associated with love, but make up for it with a power of their own. In open ocean, where pokemon centers are rare, it is not Chansey or Audino but Alomomola who are considered the go-to healers – and rather than holding to a certain office, these pokemon constantly search the ocean for the injured. Once they find someone – person or pokemon - in need of healing, they wrap them in a healing membrane, and if they are land pokemon will swim long distances to carry them to shore. The individuals healed by these pokemon find themselves not only eased of their immediate wounds, but often have also been cured of long-term illnesses, and emerge with renewed happiness in themselves and a strong belief, in spite of any evidence to the contrary, in the fundamental goodness of the world.

For this reason, Alomomola are compared not to love in the abstract, but a specific kind of love; that which heals despair and reawakens an optimistic worldview. Humans who seek to emulate these pokemon typically have deep feelings for an individual who is morose in temperament, or has been badly hurt in the past, and seek to teach them to trust humanity again.


	595. Joltik

Joltik's cute appearance and affectionate nature have made them popular household pets for much of Unovan history, but they have declined in popularity and frustrated many who retained them with the advent of home electrification. Half a century ago, Joltik could be found hanging on sweaters or jackets or crawling along carpets to absorb static electricity, but today they have found a new and remarkably abundant source in television.

Other home appliances, such as electrical outlets and light bulbs, can also attract the Joltik, and moderately darken a room or increase the electric bill in the process. But television offers the most static, and although Joltik are extremely small by pokemon standards, they are more than large enough to disrupt efforts to watch popular TV shows by crawling across the screen. And to make matters worse, Joltik are so tiny that poke balls fail to provide an effective solution; often, they sneak out through the crack in the center, which is not fully airtight when shut.

Many families solved this problem by simply not getting new Joltik when their current pets died or evolved, or by abandoning them to the wild. Others have tried a variety of creative but expensive solutions, such as putting a second screen over the television to eliminate static, or by feeding their pokemon by leaving the television on while they had nothing to watch, in the hopes that their Joltik would be satiated. Some even locked their Joltik outdoors or upstairs, but this failed, for Joltik are remarkable climbers and can squeeze through any opening. Today, with the advent of home theaters and big screen televisions, Joltik are making a comeback, for many modern TV screens are so large that a crawling Joltik blots out too little to make a difference.


	596. Galvantula

The electrically charged webs of the Galvantula do not solely trap prey, but also provide an extremely tensile surface which can also conduct electricity. Because of these useful properties, Galvantula thread has long been harvested throughout Unova, and now provides the structure for most construction, as it has since the dawn of the electrical era.

Most Unovan buildings today – and a growing number overseas – have only a small amount of brick or steel in their construction. What traditional materials they have serves two purposes; to provide cheap surfacing (for Galvantula thread is extremely expensive) and to insulate the people inside from electrical shocks. Galvantula silk doubles as wiring, for it conducts this pokemon's electricity; the ability to combine wiring and load-bearing is what makes this substance cost-effective over other materials. There is a modest downside to its use in that many of these buildings form quite natural habitats for the pokemon which created them in the first place. However, these Galvantula are largely tolerated, for they rarely attack humans and if anything add to the resilience of their structure – the only problem is the occasional arachnophobe's scream.

Humans who do not specialize in architecture often notice Galvantula webs in the forest or on pokemon farms, and mistake them for something soft and easy to break through. Although Galvantula have been trained to not eat humans, the electrification these hapless individuals suffer can be fatal if they are not retrieved from the web in time; it is all but impossible to break out on one's own. Some have questioned the safety of Galvantula silk in buildings for similar reasons, for structural damage can at times leave these webs exposed. But should any building become so damaged, falling steel or brick is a far more likely cause of death.


	597. Ferroseed

A Ferroseed's home is a nest of spikes, which one must painfully step over or through to approach; should any succeed, they will find a pokemon equally painful to the touch. These creatures have no natural predators, for although fire can damage them badly for a distance, only the extremely rare, horribly lost Talonflame can easily follow it up by actually reaching this pokemon's burnt shell without bleeding horribly from the legs.

Humans, however, have begun to brave this challenge for a different reason; not only do the defenses which protect them from predators (and humans) make them extremely useful in battle, but the iron barbs they use to defend their nests regrow and can be sold for scrap – a valuable source of income for any penniless trainer. Prospective trainers wear heavy boots to get close enough to throw their poke ball, and typically rely on a series of loyal pokemon using primarily ranged attack to weaken them enough for capture. A few follow this up with a flying pokemon such as Pelipper, who can carry the ball back in their bill, but for most trainers the trek to pick up their poke ball is the most painful experience as a pokemon trainer and followed up by a trip to the doctor.

The Ferroseed, for its part, sees its poke ball opened immediately after, in most cases, so that they can remove their spikes – and their new trainers will treasure these pokemon, so as not to let their ordeal go to waste. For a hapless few, however, the trainer turns back from the journey from pain, or collapses onto the spikes and dies – and the Ferroseed remains locked in an unclaimed poke ball until another trainer finally finds them, already captured, and finally begins that pokemon's journey.


	598. Ferrothorn

Ferrothorn have long been used throughout Unovan history as palace guards, for there are few pokemon more adept at scaring assassins. Not only is touching a Ferrothorn itself extremely painful, but these pokemon possess strong defenses and many techniques such as leech seed, which compound the damage of their touch. Even bold schemes such as sneaking Wailord into the moat often end in failure against these pokemon, for their attacks harm all creatures almost equally.

The only reliable way to take out a Ferrothorn is fire, and although royals have long acknowledged this weakness, they have paid it little mind, for there is a far better way to use fire to kill a man; why bother sneaking in a fire-type to confront Ferrothorn when you can burn the whole palace down? Anti-fire tactics have therefore typically relied on moats and firemen, although some paranoid men have included Rain Dance and Occa Berries to enhance their guard's defenses to great success.

Ferrothorn bodyguards were typically not kept in poke balls, but worn as body armor, with another lightweight metal sheet in the way to protect the wearer from their spikes. These creatures were disguised as part of the outfit – an easier feat in that age of heavy grey clothing and body armor – and their vines, painted a metal gray, were understood as straps. They would shift to absorb the first blow any assassins offered, injuring their fangs or breaking their blades in the process, and then leap from their king into a battle from which their unprepared opponents more often than not failed, and rarely won if they fought on.

Although it was once widely thought Ferrothorn were abolished with either gunpowder, the end of plate mail, or republican democracy, scattered rumors continue of controversial politicians protecting themselves with these pokemon.


	599. Klink

It is said that Klink come not from this world, but from a mechanical realm full of strange pokemon, where mega stones are common and pokemon speak in the human tongue. In their homeland, they were a slightly darker shade of metal in body and ringed in a gold frame, with a single head but two silver wheels, but the trip through the dimensions has changed them into a form more fitting this world. Their method of evolution has changed, too – from branching into metallic creatures as numerous as Eevee's evolutions, but far less remarkable, for the same could be said of every creature in that land, to the similar forms of Klang and Klinklang.

Few Klink living today have seen the world their ancestors called home, but they have heard the stories in their pokemon speech – of a land where eggs were not new life created by parents, but the souls of the dead brought back to this world anew. A land where humans came rarely, only as chosen heroes; where battles were life-and-death, where a metal dragon – compared to Dialga, but with Blastoise-like cannons and a shorter neck – had once ruled through destruction and terror. Their world has passed into the realm of legend, and where its troubles of the age once meant that few Klink wished to return, today many are curious, but whatever portal somehow carried them here is long forgotten.

A few Klink have claimed inspiration from their tales led to the creation of Porygon and the pokemon storage system, but this is most often considered coincidence. Yet once translated from their ancient, blocky script – which the Klink alone can write – they have inspired some of the most popular and renowned television shows of this world, full of weird and digital pokemon.


	600. Klang

It was once believed that, should a Klang's boomerang like gear attacks be impeded on their return, the Klang would die; they believed this because the larger part of the body which threw that gear had indeed ceased to function as surely as if it had perished. The truth is far stranger, and perhaps harkens back to the Klang's alien origins, for there is little like it in our modern world of pokemon – only Slowbro, whose evolution is the result of a fusion of two pokemon, is known to do anything similar.

A failed gear shot does not kill a Klang, but devolves it into a Klink – for this pokemon's true spirit is contained not in the far larger, faceless gears which comprise its body, but in the minigear which it uses as a weapon. Said Klink will soon grow a second head and revert to a younger stage than Klang both in power and behavior. Typically, this happens by accident, and the remade Klink fiercely resent this tragedy; when they evolve again, they refuse to throw themselves at their foes, losing many battles by denying themselves their primary weapon for fear of losing something far more valuable.

A few Klink spawned from Klang, however, do the opposite. They intentionally hurl themselves long distances and find an Everstone to avoid evolving again. These ex-Klang fiercely resent the changes their body has experienced, and prefer both the lighter form and relative lack of pressure in battle of their predecessors. Some have seen in this a malady particular to this evolutionary line of pokemon, but echoes can be found even in human adults, who often view Klang as a metaphor and mourn the lost innocence of youth, while ignoring that most Klang love their newfound power and evolve further into Klinklang.


	601. Klinklang

The intricate mechanisms from which the Klinklang are built and fight, with four interlocking gears shifting and grinding in combination to defeat their foes, has inspired many an inventor in their efforts to develop all manner of objects. The principles which allow Klinklang to compete in pokemon battles work equally well when a gear is being turned to build a machine or light up a room instead of to slam into other pokemon at high speeds. But the Klinklang have never realized this potential – or if they have, their spikes and structure got in the way, so they were never quite able to use it.

Klinklang resemble an advanced piece of machinery, but no one has yet managed to use these pokemon in an industrial manner, except in limited fields like demolition which do not significantly deviate from their natural behavior. But Klinklang are good at what they are, and there are few pokemon or weapons which enjoy being caught in this mechanical pokemon's speedy grinding gears, or can shrug off being beaned by a large, metal gear flying faster than a baseball pitch. The reason they are not considered unbeatable is that Klinklang require a large amount of time to spin in order to maximize said power; time which other pokemon are often able to use to penetrate their defenses (relatively weak by steel-type standards) and knock them out.

Yet even when unconscious, a Klinklang does not stop rotating. Some have compared this process to human blood flow or respiration; an unconscious process needed for the maintenance of this pokemon's life. Others have claimed rotation accomplishes nothing, but it continues obeying its rotation program until death because it responds not to our logic, but that of its ancient code.


	602. Tynamo

Although Tynamo have no weaknesses, for they float through the air high above the ground-type attacks which harm so many other electric pokemon, this is not sufficient to protect them from predation. Land based pokemon can typically not reach them, but a lone Tynamo can be easily devoured by a larger flying pokemon, for their small size and weak electrical charge does little more than give them a shocking taste.

To protect themselves from avian predators, Tynamo consolidate into large schools, and practice how to amplify their electrical powers by combining their electrical sparks onto a single target. As they age, even when separated from their friends they learn to emulate the growing electrical powers of others on their own, and while these Tynamo struggle at the beginning of any fight, they grow ever stronger as the battles go on. However, this is a stressful experience, and most shine their lights as much as a beacon to their school for help as for any hope of individual victory. Because they depend on one another for defense, Tynamo regard their schoolmates as closely as soldiers do their comrades, and visit each other frequently even after the increased power and food needs of evolution makes a true school impossible.

Tynamo and their evolutions are prized by humans, however, and many trainers capture them with little thought to the impact on their friends. This is a traumatic experience for these pokemon, and many Tynamo join their trainer's journey while mourning. However, when a trainer has a large team of pokemon and works to facilitate their bonds, their Tynamo will come to regard themselves as part of a new school – which happens to lost Tynamo even in the wild, albeit with schools of their own species; they will fight with absolute courage and loyalty.


	603. Eelektrik

The coiling motion of the Eelektrik is used primarily to immobilize prey while stunning them with electricity, in order to leave them unable to fight back while being eaten. But the shape these pokemon twist themselves into and the nature of the power they generate, while only harming the pokemon within their grip, creates a mild electrification of the air which many appliances and pokemon can easily absorb without any need for wires.

Early in the history of Unova's electrification, a visionary scientist proposed that mass breeding of these pokemon could replace the expensive wiring systems being put in place at the time, and leave the air so electrified that any electric-powered item could run perpetually, with no need for batteries or charging. This idea failed to win widespread acclaim, and while some of that visionary's partisans have blamed the indeed sinister scheming of his rivals, the cost of feeding such a large population of Eelektrik, whose appetites are enormous, would probably have outweighed any savings from free electricity had it ever been attempted on a widespread scale.

Nonetheless, Eelektrik are capable of powering electronic items if said items are properly designed, and devices sold in the cities near their habitat typically have the capability built in to absorb electricity from the air. Travelers through the caves where Eelektrik live frequently take advantage of these pokemon to keep their x-transcievers and handheld gaming systems charged, and it is not rare for poor people to brave the Seaside and Chargestone caves to charge special batteries and thereby save mightily on their electric bills. This poses no danger to fully-grown adults, but younger humans just starting on their pokemon journey would be wise to avoid the temptation of these pokemon, for they are small enough for Eelektrik to wrap around and devour.


	604. Eelektross

Scattered reports from Unova's beaches of Eelektross climbing out of the ocean through their arms to devour hapless amphibious pokemon were once almost universally concluded to be in error. For one, Eelektross are not water pokemon, nor are they even truly able to swim. For another, the caves their descendants call home are at some distance from the ocean, and although wild Eelektross are quite rare as they require sources of thunderstone, Tynamo and Eelektrik rarely exit their caves in the wild even when near the entrance.

Yet both these objections can be answered, and given the frequency and consistency of eyewitness accounts, these sightings should not be dismissed out of hand. Wild Eelektross are indeed extremely rare, and probably follow the behavior patterns of their evolutionary predecessors – but there is a method which lets these pokemon learn to explore the outside world. Eelektross are commonly trained for the Pokemon League, because of their lack of weaknesses and powerful electric attacks, and some of these pokemon are abandoned or outlive their trainers and turn feral.

These Eelektross have little need to return to their caves, and less ability to find the way back, even if they should remember it. Yet Unova is a coastal land, and the ocean, with its abundance of pokemon weak to Eelektross' attacks, is never too far away. As for reports of them swimming and climbing, these are inaccurate, but a simple mistake to make – for Eelektross indeed levitate just above the surface of the water, using their arms to shock and devour any nearby water pokemon. What appears to be climbing onto the land is in truth digging through wet sand, where their prey often digs a hiding spot. Such is the truth behind the often disbelieved tales of monstrous aquatic Eelektross.


	605. Elgyem

The story of why the spacefaring Elgyem have increasingly landed and settled on this world, contrary to popular belief, has nothing to do with a spaceship crash, at least not if the term "crash" is understood to mean an accidental landing. Elgyem spacecraft are in fact designed for one-way trips, much like the majority of those on our own world; it is far easier to build a new machine for takeoff and landing from materials on-planet, while leaving the mothership in order, than to make one which is effectively reusable. And the Elgyem who have landed on this world, despite their efforts to disguise it, have come here with a purpose.

Elgyem come from a mighty, galactic civilization, with brainpower and technology that far surpasses our own, and for twenty million years had paid no mind to our isolated, backwards world. But their society was one riveted by philosophical debate, until a group of their top scientists (disguised as Pikachu-like creatures in some reported versions of the tale, which is kept secret under penalty of death but other Elgyem have leaked that this was simply what their ancestors looked like twenty million and fifty years ago) devised a grand computer to settle their debate with the ultimate answer of life, the universe, and everything.

The answer, as everyone knows, is 42. But efforts to find the actual ultimate question from that computer were stymied by its destruction, and a new one was built to find what "42" meant. Fifty years ago, the Elgyem learned that 42 was the level when they evolved – and indeed what levels, and for that matter pokemon battles, were. And anxious to experience this critically important transformation, yet raised in a world free from strife, they landed on this little planet where pokemon battles reign.


	606. Beeheyem

Although the ultimate meaning of life is evolution, the Beeheyem enter this phase underwhelmed, for their larger bodies, brown colors, and four new buttons do not seem to be worth the effort of migrating to our world, let alone a solution to all the grand philosophical questions of their civilization. Beset with confusion, they press the buttons to little avail, for although Beeheyem can theoretically use them to communicate they have yet to devise a language with which to do so, and therefore thus far continue to rely on the buttons they used as Elgyem.

Then these pokemon begin to experiment with their psychic powers, for Beeheyem can rewrite memories, and memory means everything to living creatures; it shapes ideals, personalities, and relationships alike. Most Beeheyem are reluctant to use this power on others, for it is a horrific violation of any sapient life's rights, and only do so to maintain the secrecy of their mission by hiding any recollections of their own existence. A few unscrupulous ones attempt to create false memories in others which will win them fanatical devotion, but the cruel slave-driving way which they exploit this false loyalty swiftly reveals the lie to these memories, no matter how much a Beeheyem tries to cover its tracks through further brainwashing.

The true power of the Beeheyem is to alter not the memories of others, but their own, and this power is unparalleled in the universe. A few attempt to create far more fascinating worlds for their own experiences, but because this reality is shared with no one else, it leaves nothing behind but a crippling loneliness and the stigma of delusion. Far more important is the ability to perfectly determine which experiences are recalled clearly – and just as meaningfully, which haunting traumas can be freely forgotten.


	607. Litwick

Be very wary, traveler, if you are lost in a dark, abandoned building or a twisting cave and a purple flame comes to guide you, for that purple flame is a Litwick, and the only place it will take you is the land of the dead. The ghastly flames of these pokemon are fueled by life itself, and these messengers of the dead do not restrict themselves to those whose times have come, for they feel a consuming urge to keep their flames burning ever brighter.

Litwick are easily defeated if one recognizes them for what they are; even a small jet of water, pile of sand, or gust of wind will douse their fires and see them run away until their flames can burn again. But the lost and desperate rarely consider that their guide has ulterior motives; even if they know the stories of the Litwick, they seldom appreciate the significance of the ghost pokemon before them. Some lost individuals follow these pokemon to their graves willingly – not out of any desire to perish, but because they are so lost that they believe starvation or dehydration will surely take them first, and wish their expiration to be on less painful terms. Indeed, those facing true despair often get lost in areas where Litwick are common on purpose, for the death these pokemon provide is a painless one.

Although Litwick have been often demonized in legends, they are not malicious creatures, and are typically baffled when humans consider them villains. To these pokemon, who can pass freely between the two, the land of the dead is simply another realm, no worse from than that of the living. Although for the living this passing is an irreversible one, it is a journey which they all must eventually take.


	608. Lampent

Although a Litwick's flame burns through the life force of living things, Lampent are considered even more terrifying, for they use the spirits of the dead as fuel. A few individuals in human history have been reputed to keep Lampent as pets and read by their indigo light; these were without exception warlords and dictators who presided over massive amounts of state-sponsored murder. These tales are not typically found credible, and are thought to be the product of subjects trying to comprehend their rulers' bloodthirsty nature and rival polities seeking to further demonize an already demonic ruler.

Yet some tyrants – although far fewer than these rumors suggest - have indeed taken advantage of the Lampent's terrifying potential to punish dissidents, for even men willing to die a martyr's or revolutionary's death often prove unwilling if their reward is not heaven, but an incinerated spirit that barely outlasts the body. Most, however, shy away from the Lampent, despite the obvious benefits in preventing revolution and their lack of moral scruples, for Lampent devour the spirits of the dead indiscriminately; even a young tyrant is always at risk of death, if only through assassination.

Yet even the most vicious regimes fall, and this is typically not long after their citizens learn the truth about Lampent and spirits. For although Lampent do use spirits as fuel, in a sense, spirits are not destroyed nearly as easily as firewood or corpses – the only thing Lampent truly burn is the part which lets them transfer easily to the afterlife. Lampent are the primary cause of ghost pokemon, and although a ghost's existence is a sad one, it is far preferable to oblivion – or indeed, in some truly vicious regimes, preferable to the world of the living.


	609. Chandelure

Among scattered groups in Unova, it is customary to light a Chandelure at funerals – with fire, not with souls – so that the spirit of the deceased can safely pass into the afterlife. According to this custom, the lit Chandelure can not interfere with the spirit's passage, for its flames had been adequately fueled through another source – and the presence of a captive Chandelure keeps other Chandelure and Lampent at bay, for they do not compete with one another for food.

This funerary custom is controversial, however, for there are many who believe that normal fire is insufficient to nourish Chandelure, or who do not understand the meaning of this custom at all. The fear of continued Chandelure hunger is a concern of theological debate, but most correctly hold that although a Chandelure can not be fully nourished on fire alone, it can satiate them for a long time. (A fact which Chandelure trainers, who face widespread ostracism to train these pokemon, often utilize by offering fire for their lifetimes in exchange for their soul after death.)

For those of other faiths, who do not understand this custom, imagination has often replaced its true purpose with lurid tales of dark rituals. These funerals are accused of being demonic rites, and their purpose is claimed to be to feed the souls of the dead to the Chandelure, so that these pokemon can fulfill the cult's mad ambitions and ultimately summon Giratina to ruin our world. Chandelure funerals today often include Chandelure only out of tradition, for they are held in strict secrecy from all but trusted friends and those of the same rite in order to prevent disruption from the protests of other faiths – and any pokemon seeking nourishment from these funerals will struggle mightily to find them.


	610. Axew

Although Axew are far from the tiniest of pokemon, they are nonetheless capable of nesting in human hair, provided their trainer or victim wears the long, thick style they favor as a perch. Axew trainers will often grow their hair out to keep their pokemon happy, as will prospective trainers in hopes of luring one for capture, while others will cut it short for fear of encountering an unwanted pokemon in their hair. This is possible because Axew are so light they are often carried unnoticed, and because human hair has a surprisingly remarkable tensile strength.

The Axew, arboreal by nature, do not consider hair their primary habitat, but find that human rides can bring them long distances which they struggle to independently navigate. Axew were domesticated long before poke balls, for although they can subsist on the many insects which buzz around humans, it compares poorly to their typical diet. Humans learned to keep certain Axew around by rewarding them with extra food in exchange for tricks, and put them to use in roles ranging from natural combs to digging up weeds and harvesting crops with their tusks. As the friendliest dragon-type pokemon to Man, with resistances to countless common pokemon, Axew also became popular in the earliest of pokemon battles.

With sufficient experience from battle, they learned to evolve into Fraxure, a form which left them far too large to ride around in a person's hair. Some of these pre-poke ball Fraxure returned to the wild, but others had grown too fond of humanity, even in the absence of hair rides. An Axew which does not battle will rarely evolve in human presence, for even should they stay with one person their whole life, they age so slowly that their mount will go bald before they become Fraxure.


	611. Fraxure

Although this is difficult to comprehend today, when Garchomp, Salamence, and Dragonite are common sights on television in elite Pokemon battles, there was a time when most dragons were as rare as they were feared. The great exception to this were Axew, who were popular pets and farmhands, and their evolved form of Fraxure, who were trained in battle and were frequently used in the timber industry.

While the temperament of Axew has always been extremely agreeable to humanity, Fraxure are far more territorial creatures whose rivalries can cause their owners difficulties. Unovans who saw the fierce way which Fraxure battled each other for dominance – even when belonging to the same master, or working on the same project – imagined these ferocious fights as something darker in their draconic psyche, akin to the battles against legendary heroes of old. In truth, it was nothing of the sort; most dragon pokemon, although willing to commit violence against a great many species, shy away from battling other dragons for fear of severe injuries.

This, however, meant little to the Unovans, who would dress Fraxure up in suits of pokemon ranging from Zweilous to Druddigon and film their plays accordingly; the most frustrating part of these dramas was the instinctual Fraxure tendency to try to fight with tusks stuffed deep inside their costumes. Some skeptics have even seen in this pokemon the source of Unova's legends of Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem, and claimed that even if Unova's true gods were dragons, they eschewed divine conflict like most mortal dragons, and the stories to the contrary were simply Fraxure inspired myths.

Perhaps this is why so many skeptics were surprised recently, when Reshiram and Zekrom were summoned to do battle once again – although to be fair, their fight looked nothing like Fraxure's.


	612. Haxorus

Haxorus have long had a reputation for being far more powerful, or perhaps far more lucky, than the official understanding of their abilites could explain. Where good and bad luck balanced out for most species of pokemon, opposing trainers always claimed that battles against Haxorus went a little more in their foe's favor. Haxorus' attacks scored far too many critical hits, and they were clear sighted in battle even when confused, while opposing pokemon found their techniques missing far more often than expected, and paralysis acting up at precisely the wrong time.

For this reason, losses in battle due to unfortunate happenstance and devastating combinations of bad luck, regardless of the opponent, were frequently attributed to "hax". This latter term entered into the computer industry, where "hacking" became first the art of altering a program unfairly in one's favor, and eventually altering it when unauthorized at all. Those who surpassed all safeguards to gain an unexplained, unfair mastery of everything from computer games to global financial systems were likewise referred to as haxors, and many took the label in stride, turning this powerful pokemon into an icon that was claimed to alter reality the way they altered computers.

Perhaps this reputation is excessive – Haxorus' ability has always been a matter more of reputation than science, and only time will tell if statistical analysis can back up the claims of their foes – their trainers, after all, rarely ascribe their own victories to dumb luck. Yet their high attack, middling speed, and deadliness after using swords dance have kept this pokemon at the highest ranks of battle, regardless of whether they are lucky. Even if Haxorus are not truly haxors, there is no doubting that they are elite.


	613. Cubchoo

Although Cubchoo are far better adapted for the cold than most pokemon, to the point of primarily utilizing ice-type attacks in battle, they are not yet immune to it. Cubchoo grow thick fur to ward off freezing in the cold of winter, but their small size and lack of blubber makes this often insufficient, so many Cubchoo carry an Aspear berry to protect themselves from freezing in dire conditions. The ice which forms within their bodies is removed through the nose as their iconic icicle of snot, which is kept close to the body as a weapon for self-defense.

Should a Cubchoo fall ill, its body will be significantly less effective at removing ice, and its mucus will gain a watery consistency. Cubchoo in this state often collect significantly more Aspear berries than healthy ones, for although a single berry is often used as insurance against a snowstorm, these Cubchoo are perpetually on the verge of freezing, and run through berries like sick humans do tissues.

Trainers often find that, when they remove Cubchoo from their natural habitat, these pokemon appear to become perpetually sick; a few go so far as to return them to the wild, for the sake of their health – while others, puzzled by their pokemon's refusal to take their natural medicine, attempt to force-feed them Aspear berries or Ice Heals. To do so to a domestic Cubchoo is a dangerous mistake, which risks leaving them so warm that they turn into a water pokemon, or worse, melt outright. Although the symptom is similar, watery Cubchoo snot in captivity is typically caused not by an inability to remove ice to the nose, but a lack of ice caused by warm climates, and these Cubchoo are at no risk of freezing.


	614. Beartic

Beartic are a difficult pokemon to raise, known for their tendency to tease and even attack their trainers, but when they are truly needed there is no questioning their loyalty. These pokemon treat their trainers in a confusing way, for while their trainers are looking and their disobedience can not bring them lasting sorrow, act more like bullies than they do domestic pokemon. From freezing their trainers' clothes and pulling their hair to sparring a bit too violently, Beartic often test the tolerance of not only the strongest pokemon trainers, but even those whose only path to victory goes through these disobedient pokemon.

Yet even for those Beartic who do not know when to quit, a Beartic's trouble-making is often tempered by acts of loyalty and love. The same Beartic who knock out their trainers will carry them long distances to the hospital on their shoulders and wait by their bedside until they are healed. The Beartic who rarely take their trainers' commands seriously in practice or easy matches will summon reservoirs of determination and push their limits in championships to win their trainers' approval. Should their trainer appear to be truly moved to sorrow by their actions, Beartic will easily give them mercy, and they will perform mighty feats of aid to win their trainers' affection back should any become frustrated enough to release them.

Although this behavior is baffling to many trainers, those who study the Beartic conclude that it is not a product of domestication. Wild Beartic treat prospective mates in a similar manner, in what is thought to have evolved as a way to test their strength and endurance, but which today is never abandoned even should they be pushovers. Perhaps these bizarre, frustrating habits are simply the only kind of love which any Beartic knows.


	615. Cryogonal

Cryogonal's emotions have often been mistaken for a puzzle, for their eyes make a happy face while their mouth frowns; some have even claimed their facial expressions to be frozen in place. In truth, these are almost always happy pokemon, capable of adjusting their eyes at will; but rarely with any need to show a different expression. Cryogonal's chain of ice, although often mistaken for a frown, however, is frozen in place; it is gravity and the shape of their mouths which gives these pokemon their distinctive false sorrow whenever not using them in battle.

A Cryogonal's ice chain is its primary weapon, used in the wild for hunting dragons so powerful that they had forgotten that they could ever be anything but predators. Cryogonal are one of very few pokemon capable of melting or evaporating without dying in the process, and they use these changes in state to gain the element of surprise, for few pokemon are ever on guard against a puddle or a cloud of steam. These chains bind, freeze, and pierce their foes simultaneously, although against a prepared foe they can not do all three at once nearly as effectively; should their sneak attack fail to bring victory, Cryogonal will continue to fight by channeling their ice into more traditional attacks.

Although these form changes are technically legal for domestic Cryogonal, they are rarely used, for the nature of an official pokemon battle makes it very difficult for Cryogonal to use the element of surprise. Opposing trainers have at times proved able extinguish a Cryogonal's frown in the process of a victory, grabbing or punching the ice chain out of them; ironically, this is the only time these fiercely competitive pokemon are sad enough to weep.


	616. Shelmet

Although Shelmet ultimately evolve into Accelgor, they fight as though they are preparing to evolve into Shuckle. These slow pokemon battle by spitting poison at their foes, then clench their shell tightly shut for the rest of the match in the hopes that their foe will either faint from poison or get bored and give up. These shy creatures have at times been cited as the exception to the supposed rule that all pokemon love to battle, for although their strategy does not guarantee defeat – far from it, at least against low level pokemon – it makes a mockery of everything which makes people love the sport.

While the first Shelmet took easily to trainers, for they saw in poke balls a larger, stronger shell than their own, they soon learned the danger Man posed to their defensive methods. The overwhelming majority of Shelmet trainers do not raise these pokemon for the Little Cup, but in the hopes of evolving them; Shelmet view this less as the process of becoming stronger than as having their shell stolen and being left defenseless, so they fiercely resist this fate.

Shelmet's code of honor forbids them from defying their trainers, but they often come to resent them after evolution. When the word spread to their wild counterparts about the Karrablast trades, Shelmet started trying to avoid capture, but this is far easily said than done. Their heavy shells, so useful against pokemon attacks, can not protect them from a pokeball, and makes them far too slow to run away. All they can do is hide in the mud and hope that they will not to be found, or that their halfhearted efforts to fight back will convince prospective trainers that they are far too boring to bother.


	617. Accelgor

Accelgor mourn the loss of their shell, and lose their first few battles after their evolution, learning the hard way that their new bodies are far too fragile to allow for a strategy based on shrugging off hits. Many Accelgor attempt to quit on their trainers after these frustrating defeats, but soon dejectedly return, because absent their shell's protection the wild is a far more terrifying place than the poke ball.

Accelgor trainers must use this opportunity to teach them the new way in which these pokemon must fight – a transformation in strategy which has few parallels among evolving pokemon, even when acknowledging the species which change types, and those who until evolution are too weak to fight at all. Accelgor take well to these new techniques, however, once they learn the wisdom behind them; if a metal shell can not protect them, they must become so fast and powerful that their speed can become a new shell, in order to take down their opponents before suffering a single blow.

In more warlike eras, Accelgor would serve as spies and assassins, for once properly trained they became so confident in their speed that they did not fear even armies. This is not to say that they had lost their fear of pain; when wounded, they realized their fragility, and ran away as quickly as they had volunteered. But this was not a bad thing, for they were always so outnumbered in their missions that a braver man or pokemon would have thrown their life away, while Accelgor lived to fight again. Today, an Accelgor's cowardice can be more frustrating to trainers, for they can only U-Turn and survive at a teammate's expense. However, Accelgor's strikes are so powerful that it is often worth their comrades' sacrifice.


	618. Stunfisk

One of the oldest ways to trap a foe in the history of warfare – one which was used most famously in Kalos' Hundred Years War, but which has been used in countless other battles, against countless other unsuspecting generals – relies extensively on the Stunfisk. These flat pokemon struggle to win battles against powerful foes, but are extremely adept at burrowing into mud and paralyzing any creatures so unfortunate as to step on them. And while in a one-on-one situation, this is a mild irritant to any pokemon - except those few small enough for Stunfisk to devour - it is nothing short of deadly when deployed by a vast horde in the mud, with a whole army of ranged attacking pokemon to finish the job.

For this reason, tacticians and warlords in areas where Stunfisk are present have long been extremely cautious even in dirt battlefields, for there are many pokemon which can quickly bring fierce rains and turn dirt into mud. Although this trap can be equaled out with one's own Stunfisk corps, armies rarely have equally powerful ranged and charging attackers, so it can still give one side a significant advantage. Armies dependent on close quarter combat have often maneuvered into battles where Stunfisk can not so easily hide, and using the tactic successfully has always dependent on either the opponent being unaware that the Stunfisk tactic was possible (for these pokemon and associated strategies were new to the area, or the opposing forces were believed to lack access to Stunfisk or rain) or an exceptionally stupid foe.

Today, the decline of war has often seen Stunfisk mistaken for useless, but creative trainers in double and triple battles and criminal gangs defending against heroic trainers have hidden these pokemon to remarkably similar effect.


	619. Mienfoo

Although the lengthy combos performed so frequently in fighting games have often been derided as unrealistic – most pokemon top out at five-hit attacks, and specially trained Combusken can exceed that number only on stationary dummies – Mienfoo are capable of stringing together kicks and punches like even the best fighting game experts. The problem is that, much like in said games, these combination techniques are not particularly powerful – at times requiring upward of forty hits to knock out a foe.

For this reason, Mienfoo typically abandon these strikes as they grow older in favor more powerful techniques which are impossible to string together; they reduce their efforts to limited combinations such as double slap, or even outright take turns with their foes. Most trainers are pleased with their increased power, which they encourage at the expense of developing their constant attacks. Yet it is said that Mienfoo can to develop their kicks and punches into a perpetual, nigh-unbreakable attack – not by increasing their power, but by reducing the openings for a counterattack until they can defeat all opponents without suffering a single hit.

Only a few martial arts masters have ever claimed to have taught their Mienfoo to master this skill, and none have done so in the past hundred years – yet even without evolution, these few Mienfoo could take down far larger, stronger creatures, provided they first reached close-quarter combat. Unfortunately, this rarely translated to victory, for pokemon battles do not begin at a hand-to-hand range, and Mienfoo were typically defeated by stronger pokemon before they could close the distance between the two. Because of this vulnerability, the technique for the final Mienfoo combo has been lost to history, but wild Mienfoo still try to teach themselves this forgotten art.


	620. Mienshao

Mienshao are remarkably skilled at the art of misdirection, and many trainers have still failed to realize the trick behind their whip attacks. Although these pokemon snap their long arms onto the ground, and can trip or strike an unsuspecting opponent, this attack's true purpose is not dependent on damage, and actually knocking their foes over will typically lead to the Mienshao taking more damage than they deal. For the standard Mienshao fighting technique uses their whips to fool their opponent into jumping over them, at which point they can strike them down with a Hi Jump Kick against a target which might as well be lying prone.

Although this form of misdirection is widely known, this does not make it easy to actually stop. The sight of a Mienshao's arm – or indeed any tripping attack – aimed for one's legs causes most people and pokemon to jump instinctively, regardless of whether or not one knows that Mienshao are already transitioning into a kick which brings them catastrophe on a miss the moment they crack their purple and white whip.

For this reason, the term "Mienshao trap" in Unova refers to an obvious trap which nonetheless can not be easily avoided, if at all. In turn-based board games, it can refer to a situation where any move weakens one position; in politics, to a question where any answer will cost the answerer popularity, but where the politician refuses to evade the question – or worse, to impending environmental catastrophes prompted by human actions, yet which humans are unwilling to endure the consequences of stopping. Neither humans nor pokemon are wholly rational creatures, and knowledge can not always be successfully acted upon or properly acknowledged, whether failure means enduring a Mienshao's knockout kick or a far deadlier cataclysm.


	621. Druddigon

One of the hardest things to figure out about training a Druddigon is how to show them affection. Their spiky scales which protect make these pokemon so frustrating to battle make them equally painful to embrace, pet, or even high-five after a victory, and trainers who persist in these efforts can find themselves bleeding from their hand or cheek to their beloved pokemon's horror. Although some have attempted to tame the Druddigon with special gloves, these have only ever reduced the pain, for there is no substance known to man or pokemon capable of shielding one's body from a Druddigon's scales on contact.

Some Druddigon trainers have alleged that this is because Druddigon do not care for the warmth of a friendly touch, which virtually all living pokemon appreciate, but these claims are motivated more by the claimers' own aversion to pain than by any biological insight; their Druddigon never fight to the level of their potential. Although Druddigon are extremely willing to utilize their spikes to aid their power in battle, these pokemon also consider them a test of friendship. The only people who Druddigon consider worthy to follow into battle are those willing to endure the pain of their texture and treat them as warmly as they do any other pokemon.

Druddigon are as remarkable for how their spikes equalize as for the actual damage they cause; whether Shuckle, Magikarp, or human, any creature who touches these pokemon feels a virtually identical amount of pain. This is partially because Druddigon whose spikes grow too sharp are understandably unable to mate, and partially because even before humanity, Druddigon often came to see members of other species as friends, and feared maiming them as much as they loved maiming (or better yet, scaring away) their foes.


	622. Golett

From Claydol and Regigigas in ancient times to Porygon today, civilizations have occasionally stumbled upon the secret of life and used that knowledge to create artificial pokemon. The peoples of ancient Unova never quite figured this out; instead, they invented the Golett:intelligent, sapient robots who are not truly alive, yet arethought to carry the souls of departed machines within their bodies, for they behave strikingly like ghosts.

It is unknown to Man what incident caused the Golett builders to disappear, yet left their pokemon unharmed and still in perfect working order. Many have suspected a Golett revolution, for there is evidence these pokemon were used as manual labor to allow their human builders more leisuretime, but the case for this is paradoxically weakened by the lack of damage to even a single Golett. Should there have been a revolution, the humans would have fought back; even had they been caught wholly unprepared, some of them would surely have left scars on at least a few Golett in self-defense. AndGolett do not age, so wounds consistent with ancient warfare would still appear on Golett today – yet all of them, no matter how closely examined, show no damage from such an incident.

Some great tragedymust surely have befallen the people who invented the Golett, for had they simply migrated away, they would have had no reason to abandon their prized pokemon, burn all records of their knowledge, and never build such wondrous pokemon again. But only the Golett know what happened, and although these pokemon have intelligence comparable to man, they can never disobey a direct order from their creators, who have sealed their memories away – unless, in some future era, failure to reveal their knowledge would allow for an even worse catastrophe.


	623. Golurk

Unlike the Golett, who were used primarily for manual labor, Golurk were used from their earliest days as weapons of war. This fact appears to violate the laws of robotics, and many an archaeologist has searched for a way to resolve this paradox.

The motif of the undead soldier, who returns from beyond the grave to bring victory to his or her loved ones or nation, has appeared time and time again in genres of story ranging from mythology to mecha anime, and some have suggested that it was first inspired by the Golurk. According to this theory, Golett and Golurk were true ghosts, not of machines but of those who passed away in the kingdoms which built these pokemon, and were chosen to be revived based on the prestige, loyalty, and skill they had demonstrated in life.

Although stories to that effect do appear extensively in the cities which first built these pokemon, their meaning remains the subject of debate – many see in these tales of Golurk souls not the origin of this myth, but simply another reflection. They claim that restoring particular souls to living bodies, even ghost ones,is a necromancy impossible for humanity, least of all a long-dead civilization whose technology has been greatly supplanted in all fields save robotics in the present day. Instead, they believe Golurk to have been true robots, who simply focused their attacks in warfare on pokemon, who the Laws do not forbid harming.

The archaeological record is inconclusive, and the Golurk themselves prove little more. Although they claim to have been living, ancient warriors once, they have either forgotten, never knew, or been forbidden by their programming to reveal any information which could verify that fact, and many suspect this claim is simply code written to make legends appear real.


	624. Pawniard

Although Pawniard are far from the strongest pokemon in existence, their extremely sharp blades have seen many trainers consider them too dangerous to battle, for a Pawniard's attack can do far worse than simply knock an opposing pokemon out; it can easily be fatal. In the wild (or the captivity of sufficiently unsavory individuals, who rarely accompany their pokemon and prefer their Pawniard to be mistaken for wild) these pokemon are known for forming gangs and stealing items and money from poke marts or unsuspecting socialites, which their terrified victims typically relinquish without a fight. Even if Pawniard are captured by the police, it is rarely of any consequence, for their blades allow them to break out of jail simply by sawing through the bars.

Pawniard do not steal for such trivial things as the appearance of shiny coins. In the wild, these pokemon amass vast hoards of treasure, selling or "pawning" their stolen goods to grow their treasure larger, for what they truly seek is an item too well-protected for even them to rob. Every Pawniard's dream is to evolve into a Bisharp, but not only do they pokemon evolve at a very late level, but most trainers and wild pokemon refuse to fight them for fear of being skewered on their blades. Pawniard have one only way to get stronger, and rare candies can only be purchased in the most elite haunts of pokemon trainers, where the sight of Pawniard invokes little fear. And worse, they can only be had for an enormous price.

By the time any Pawniard becomes a Bisharp, they have an extra reason to be thankful that their appearance has changed, for evolution is an excellent way for Unova's most wanted fugitives to gain a permanent disguise.


	625. Bisharp

A Bisharp's blade is as sharp as a Pawniard's, but these pokemon have far better control over their movements, and can decide for themselves whether they will deliver a knockout blow or a killing one. Their great speed, combined with their skill at swordplay, allows these pokemon to easily strike even an armored foe's weak spot, and they can attack so quickly that they are yards behind their foe before they realize they have been hit.

This traditional technique carries with it a high probability of missing, and was used on the battlefields of old against samurai, for even should they miss their target, the chaos of war and their enormous speed left them typically free to try again. This was far more difficult in formal duels – and their modern successor, pokemon battles - where Bisharp faced a single foe and could not lose themselves in a crowd of allies and enemies, and racing past their target meant they only faced a turning foe and a blow to the back of the head. Even in warfare, Bisharp who used this movewere eventually stymied by changes in tactics; by the late Ransei era, it had become commonplace to focus on Bisharp's deadly strikes to the exclusion of other foes, for left unchallenged they could assassinate a small army singlehandedly while using their comrades as cannon fodder.

To counter this, Bisharp mastered many other techniques, such as Swords Dance and Night Slash, which typify their battles today. But should any foe let their guard down against these creatures, and any Bisharp trainer think they can get away with it, the ancient technique of Unova's battlefields has not been truly forgotten.


	626. Bouffalant

The most difficult task which faced the builders of Unova's great bridges was protecting them from the Bouffalant. Although when completed, bridges hold foundations that can even resist these charging pokemon, the process of building them was a long one which faced many setbacks from these large and powerful creatures. A Bouffalant's charge is a dangerous thing, capable of even clear-cutting a forest; when these pokemon are angry, even trees are not large enough to stand in their way. Bridge foundations overlapped Bouffalant habitat, and when they were chasing or escaping from foes, the Bouffalant saw little reason to avoid the materials which were being assembled into the base of Unova's bridges.

Initially, it was hoped that avoiding the Bouffalant could be done as a matter of luck; if construction was sufficiently hastened, it could grow heavy enough to withstand a charging Bouffalant before any Bouffalant interfered. However, this led only to expensive failures, for although the theory was sound, the building was never fast enough. Fencing the area off was impossible, for these pokemon did not even consider fences to be barriers and shrugged off barbed wire or electric wounds, and building closer to the water failed to frighten pokemon capable of swimming. A mass capture was considered, but was dismissed for environmental considerations and the cost of the necessary poke balls.

In desperation, a few engineers decided to leave out bait for the local Bouffalant, and once they were drawn to the area, explained with no small effort, through intricate mechanical models, what those piles of material were actually for. The Bouffalant, intrigued by the idea of continuing to charge across bridges instead of swimming slowly through water, left the rest of the construction alone, although they ran over quite a few passengers once the bridges finally opened!


	627. Rufflet

Although the idea that Rufflet's evolutionary line would become the region's national pokemon was agreed on from the moment of Unovan independence, there was some disagreement as to which evolutionary stage should be chosen. Today, when Unova towers above the world in population, wealth, power, and even the height of its buildings, the large, powerful, and majestic Braviary seems fitting to represent this mighty land. But for much of its early history, it was far more common for Unovans to see themselves as Rufflet.

Although far from the most powerful pokemon in combat, Rufflet are ferocious birds who make up for their frailty with raw courage and determination, and by doing so win many matches even after their trainers have given up. Unova's own revolution was a similar war, where the region rebelled against a far larger empire and many times approached defeat, but were inspired to continue fighting back by the courage of these pokemon – one widespread anecdote from that era describes a patriotic Rufflet who thought nothing of challenging a musket-bearing officer, and flew so erratically and pecked so fiercely that it evaded every shot until the officer collapsed.

Today, Rufflet often frustrate trainers and pokemon nurses alike for their unwillingness to accept defeat, for these pokemon will keep fighting until unconsciousness, even when they are bleeding and barely able to move, and refuse any efforts from their trainer to call them back. Although this wins them a few extra matches, these victories are rarely worth the severe injuries and lengthy healing time that Rufflet require in the aftermath. But sometimes, that match is a gym battle or a major tournament, and that determination is the difference between victory and defeat – and then trainers from all nations love their Rufflet like they were the most flag-waving of Unovans.


	628. Braviary

Although Braviary are today considered Unova's national bird, these pokemon have been associated with many empires in history, for their warlike nature is surpassed only by their camaraderie and compassion. These giant birds patrol the skies in grand flocks, and although they are predatory birds, very few of these pokemon's battles are fought with the aim of killing and devouring prey. For Braviary see themselves as first and foremost a force of justice, and will gang up on and attack any creature – even humans – who they perceive to be abusing their power.

In a world run by the law of the jungle, it is difficult to apply any morality, but Braviary do not consider ordinary predation their concern. These pokemon are far more likely to target pokemon who extort, decieve or torment others, although they will descend on pokemon who kill, provided their reasons are other than self-defense or food. Braviary justice is swift and decisive, and they show mercy only when the victims they protect offer it – a rare sight for those who suffered such fresh wounds.

In the age of nationhood and warfare, great empires often saw much to admire in those who protected the weak, dispensed justice, and rarely lost battles, for this was a time-honored way to legitimize their power – even in cases where this was honored more often in the breach than the observance. The Unovan Empire was the final one to do so, in part because, at least in its final days, it took the ways these majestic pokemon embodied far more seriously than its predecessors, and in part because the world reached a point where there was no great or petty tyranny left to confront, and battles became something only fought by trainers and their pokemon.


	629. Vullaby

Vullaby are too young to hunt for food, for their Mandibuzz mothers (or their trainers) typically feed them more than enough, and should they perish the Vullaby will surely starve, yet they chase smaller, weaker pokemon anyway. Some have seen in this behavior an atavism from Archen or a more recent flightless ancestor, others a developmental phase which uses many of the same muscles as finding prey through flight – although the targets for a fully grown Mandibuzz are already dead. Although the debate remains unsettled, mythology offers a far more interesting explanation.

According to legend, Vullaby chase the weak because they carry the instincts of a predator, and their transition to scavenging occurs only once they have learned the futility of the former task. Mandibuzz encourage their Vullaby to hunt not in the hopes they might supplement their diet by succeeding, but because they know they will surely fail, and that through that failure they will learn how much easier it is to scavenge instead of wasting their time hunting once they are old enough to actually catch and kill prey. Despite being dark types, they claim, Mandibuzz mothers have an affection for all life, and they do not want their Vullaby chicks to cause any excess death, especially in a way which expends too much energy for it to be worth this species' effort.

In reality, even Vullaby raised from a young age by human trainers quickly learn the lesson of scavengers. The closest thing to a meaning any researchers can agree on is that Vullaby simply seem to enjoy scaring other pokemon, whether by imitating a predator's chase or by plotting more garden-variety tricks; should they literally scare one to death, no Vullaby will mind getting a free meal for their trouble.


	630. Mandibuzz

Mandibuzz are not a violent pokemon; indeed, their exclusive scavenging has seen them described by modern researchers as the pacifists of the pokemon world, although they do not shy away from battle, only from killing. However, their penchant for gathering the bones of the dead for the purposes of decoration – both of their own bodies and their nests – has caused many in human history to jump to the wrong conclusions.

Mandibuzz were once imagined as birds who killed for fun and kept their trophies on their nests or their belts. They were thought to tear flesh from the dead not for the sake of eating – for it was believed they relied on some unknown food source, likely smaller birds in flight – but for better decoration, and the lengthy periods of time they spent tearing flesh from bones was seen as proof of their dedication to barbarism, for no pokemon could possibly enjoy the taste of rotting meat. That they used dark type attacks likely added to this perception; when faced with a giant bird who looked like a barbarian chieftain, humans drew understandable but wholly erroneous conclusions.

In truth, Mandibuzz are considered dark type not because they are murderers, but because they are habitual thieves. Their robust bodies, sharp claws, and large wings which make them so hard to take down in pokemon battles are equally adept at driving predators away from their kills, and they will even rob cemeteries for their decorations. This, to be sure, is a far milder crime than mass murder, but that is of little comfort to the large, predatory pokemon who are often faced with starvation from stolen food; should they starve, the Mandibuzz often add insult to injury by picking their corpse bare and burying them in their nest.


	631. Heatmor

Although Durant are Heatmor's preferred prey, Heatmor will eat many other bug-type pests – even when they need not first burn through their armor. From the dawn of civilization, bug pokemon frequently raided grain storehouses, and farms were left bare by larger swarms – and in the aftermath, Heatmor followed in search of a meal. In early writings, Heatmor were also considered pests, because they appeared with other pests and spent time near food sources, were mistaken for rodents (in truth they are Xenarthrans, related to Slaking and many extinct species) and at times accidentally set fires.

In a desperate famine, faced with too many pests to drive off, a few Unovans experimented with leaving the Heatmor alone – for they saw that Heatmor spent a great deal of time fighting Durant and other bugs, and therefore were removing pests for them. These individuals found that their food supply had all but ceased to diminish, and that Heatmor were not fighting Durant over human food, but were true insectivores, so they instead allowed these pokemon to stay provided their tongues did not miss and set their barns on fire. The tactic worked, and was soon copied – along with their prosperity - until Heatmor became a mainstay anywhere in Unova where food was grown or stockpiled.

When insecticides were invented, however, Heatmor saw a dramatic decline in available prey, and most of them returned to the wild. Despite ecological concerns regarding the alternative, only a small minority of organic farmers continue to feed these pokemon. Today, Heatmor are seen as relics of a more sustainable age, although some continue to keep them as pets, or to train Heatmor to remove bug and steel pokemon like Durant or Scizor from the battlefield instead of the storehouse.


	632. Durant

While their presence certainly requires more work for farmers and trainers, Durant have often been described as the laziness pokemon. Unlike Slaking, whose lethargy only impacts themselves, those few Durant who fight only half the time have the mysterious ability to make other pokemon every bit as lazy as they are.

Battles involving these Durant are extremely slow affairs, where continual damage from attacks such as toxic and leech seed can acquire immense importance. They are marked by frequent pokemon switches on both sides, for no one wishes to be caught with a lazy pokemon, although it can not always be avoided. Durant teams typically rely on transferring that pokemon's laziness onto a foe, than bringing out a teammate which can force their newly lazy foe to remain in battle while powering up until they become practically invincible. Typically, these Durant are unable to compete in top-level leagues, but in alternate battle formats, especially those which restrict replacing pokemon, the Durant can turn their laziness into virtual invincibility; there, they are as popular as Garchomp.

Although this ability is rare among all but specially bred Durant today, it is thought to be basal to the Durant species, so early biologists described these Durant as the "true Durants". In time, this term was shortened to Truant, and applied both to Slaking and to anyone who fails to give their full effort in important tasks, or worse, fails to appear at all. It is said that if Durant ever learn to spread truancy directly to humans, civilization would collapse, for there would be no one left who could work quickly and productively enough for society to function. Yet enough people would still go through enough of the motions to fool many others into believing that nothing had changed.


	633. Deino

Unlike the Zubat, who make up for their blindness through echolocation, Deino are truly disabled by their blindness. These pokemon can only poorly perceive the world around them, for they lack eyesight and their senses of hearing and smell are insufficient to make up the difference. Yet Deino excel in their remarkable sense of taste, for a single bite allows them to discern not only an object's flavor, but also its size and shape, and in the case of living things, its most recent meal and travel pathway for the last hour.

Deino have short tongues, and their taste buds are also contained in their teeth, so they will bite as often as other pokemon sniff or stare. Although their trainers and teammates learn to adjust to this behavior, strangers among pokemon are not so understanding, and Deino are often found beaten up when they their victims inevitably take offense and fight back. Their bites, after all, are pokemon attacks – albeit ones they find necessary to see – and should Deino find the pokemon they bite to be a potential combat victory or a tasty morsel, they will not hesitate to follow it up with more.

Caretakers of these pokemon have quickly learned that Deino do not seek to devour them, and that their bites are simply a frustrating part of keeping these pokemon as pets. Most have struggled, however, to find any supplementary use for Deino, although sufficiently patient trainers will be satisfied with a Hydreigon's power. Some police departments have experimented with Deino, both for their taste-based searches and a sadistic appreciation for the prospect of having them bite criminals. And they have often been used as family guards, because even the criminals who know they are not man-eaters are loathe to take a bite from a charging Deino.


	634. Zweilous

Any long-standing rivalry, whether between political parties to sports teams, will often be compared by those who adhere to neither side to the feud between a Zweilous' two heads: "You may fight all the time, but whoever wins, it all ends up in the same stomach." Yet this is saying betrays a lack of comprehension ofthisconflict, for while a Zweilous' heads compete both in gluttony, this is merely a proxy for a greater battle for control over their shared body.

Although Zweilous frequently gripe at one another, these pokemon are rarely paralyzed by indecision like the Dodrio, and rarely if ever resort to fratricide. Some early researchers claimed this is because the Zweilous take turns, but their turns are never even, for these researchers had a superficial understanding of a far more intricate competition.

During each Zweilous head's turn of leadership, it puts its ability to the test to gather as much food as possible; in captivity, where food is alwysplentiful, battles won are used instead. The other head criticizes as often as it likes, but does not attempt to actively rebel, and whenever food is found the leading Zweilous head maneuvers into a position where it can far more easily eat – although with these pokemon's long necks, the difference is not all thatextreme. After a set period of time, determined by how large a food advantage the larger head has gathered (for these pokemon keep score) the two Zweilous heads switch control, and the hungrier head must attempt to make up the difference.

Although the rules of the game require each head to gain control for a significant amount of time, Zweilous do keep an overall tally, for with evolution the losing head is subsumed, and the victor becomes the unchallenged brain of the Hydreigon.


	635. Hydreigon

Hydreigon have typically been viewed as mindless engines of destruction: scourges which lay waste to cities, wild pokemon, and anything else in sight. Yet among this pokemon's partisans – most commonly their trainers, but there are in every age a few contrarians and eccentrics who hew to this ancient view – this is among the cruelest slanders in the history of the world.

Hydreigon, it is claimed, do not destroy the world so much as they protect and purify it. These pokemon carry within them the spirit of the Voice of Life, a godlike entity associated far more with hope and determination than any of the actual gods – and their reign of terror and destruction, far from being random, is an intricate scheme to make the world a better place. Hydreigon are a force not of death, but of chaos, destroying not everything they see, but just enough to avoid stagnation and allow a template for new creations. When they attack humans, it is claimed, it is because these pokemon can see the future – and this viewpoint is not wholly without merit, for more than once lands which drove off the Hydreigon gave rise to newer and greater evils.

There are those who view the followers of Hydreigon as madmen in the mold of Giratina cultists, and claim that should they ever be listened to, a great disaster should befall the world. But Hydreigon's supportersemulate these pokemon not in cruelty, but by possessing an iron will to survive – when their spirits clash with an actual Hydreigon, it is often the Hydreigon, not the human, who ends up tamed by the encounter.


	636. Larvesta

Although folklore has long claimed that Larvesta originated on the surface of the sun, many early astronomers did not consider that claim credible. This was not because extraterrestrial pokemon were unknown, but because the sun's extremely hot climate was not expected to allow for pokemon life, and there was no known mechanism for a solar pokemon to reach the earth. Biologists in this period dissented, arguing that Larvesta are remarkably well-adapted for extremely hot temperatures, and noting that the harsh conditions of a nuclear explosion seem to make these pokemon thrive.

Today, the sun's environment is better understood, and there are known to be portions which are habitable, at least for fire-type life. And many factors in Larvesta's biology, apart from their tolerance to extreme heat, are known to support this viewpoint; their cell structure is wholly alien, their slow maturation unparalleled among earth-based pokemon; some of the pokemon they converge most strongly with have the quickest life cycles on our world.

The means by which the Larvesta arrived here, however, remains one of science's great mysteries. Although the sun is known to eject particles, such as through the solar wind, those are believed to come from the sun's much hotter corona, where even Larvesta can not survive. And while Larvesta can breathe a great deal of elements, a fact that has allowed them to survive on Earth's very different atmosphere, traveling though space would surely see them run out of air.

At one point in the history of our solar system, a piece of the sun large enough to carry a breeding population of Larvesta (and likely other solar pokemon, none who survived the journey) must have been ejected from the sun and fallen onto Earth. But astronomy can not yet supply any explanation for how this impossibility happened.


	637. Volcarona

Although the sun's lifespan is an extremely long one, many times longer than the history of pokemon on this world, it is a fundamentally dangerous source of power. There will come a point in time when it becomes too bright for life itself to survive, and should any intelligent beings still dwell on this planet, it will become necessary for this world itself to escape into distant space. There is no obvious means to allow the world to escape, but should whoever lives on this world solve that grand engineering problem, there is a pokemon species which can allow it to drift through interstellar space infinitely without becoming frozen.

Volcarona have long been compared to temporary suns, and it is an apt one,for their fiery light is so powerful that it could heat the entire earth in the real thing's absence. Volcarona have never had needed to use their full power, although there have been times in climatological history where they were forced to stabilize the world's temperature, when atmospheric dust from volcanoes or meteors had blotted out much of the sun's light. Since their arrival on this planet, Volcarona account for much of this world's temperature stability, and colder periods tend to correlate with times of their scarcity in the fossil record; although Volcarona can warm the entire Earth, it is an enormous effort requiring vast numbers of these pokemon.

Should Volcarona ever be driven to extinction, it would almost certainly doom this planet, although it may take hundreds of millions or even billions of years for the world to notice. Although humans have often considered themselves the world's most important species, and their intelligence and ability to transform their environment is unparalleled, the Volcarona are even more vital.


	638. Cobalion

Although the swords of justice are occasionally forced by some grand villainy to fight as one once more, as in ancient times, there are far too many injustices in this modern world for them to have a hope of bringing the world justice without splitting their efforts up. Each sword fights an evil which haunts their own element, and Cobalion shine with the steel of cities, although changes in architectural coloring have seen their cobalt color become a rarity; in historic times, they were far better camouflaged.

A great many pokemon have abandoned the wilderness to live among humans, and their number has dramatically increased with the advent of the poke ball. Yet although living with humanity protects pokemon from hunting or habitat destruction, this is not the only evil which humans commit, for not all trainers are kind and just. Unlike Terrakion and Virizion, Cobalion has often been aided in its task by humans, for it rarely takes issue with the march of civilization. Its efforts focus on the cruel and sadistic among pokemon trainers, who it scares into kindness with its swords, or if they resist and their pokemon accept it, Cobalion will execute abusers outright.

Human populations in Unova, however, have grown far too large for even a god to guarantee justice. While once the probability of a Cobalion visit inspired all to decent treatment, if only out of terror, today it is far too rare to dissuade all but the most paranoid of villains. For this reason, the Cobalion have often focused their efforts on greater and grander pokemon abusers, such as large companies which engage in pokemon testing or Team Rocket's aborted expansion into Unova, and with the decline of the wilderness, have frequently brought in their comrades for help in bringing justice to civilization.


	639. Terrakion

Among the swords of justice, Terrakion is seen as the protector of Unova's caves and mountains. Many have mistaken this for an easy task, and it is true that today Terrakion has the lightest workload of the group, but this has not always been true Human expansion has only modestly touched Twist Mountain, Reversal Mountain, and Unova's numerous caves – and always in a kind, environmentally sensitive manner – not because of lack of effort, but because Terrakion is very good at its job.

There have been times in Unova's history when humans attempted to treat Terrakion's sphere like any other wilderness, and gave no thought to the consequences of their actions on the local pokemon. Techniques such as mountaintop removal offered far greater profit margins for mines, and had been used profitably in much of the world, but those who attempted the same in Unova soon found themselves standing under the wrong end of Terrakion's hoof-like boot. Time and time again Man failed to conquer Terrakion's realm, until he gave up and accepted admittance on the sword of justice's terms.

But the struggles over the caves and mountains might are all but forgotten today, when humans have accepted that they venture into certain lands only as guests of a watchful, rocky god of justice. At times, when faced with abusive bosses or when disadvantaged by a rival's underhanded scheme, the miners of Twist Mountain have even gone so far as to call on Terrakion for protection – and unlike its comrades, Terrakion has proved willing to defend innocent humans as well as pokemon from both petty and grand tyrannies. Indeed, while human ingenuity makes them far more able to exploit and destroy others on average, there are pokemon who can threaten innocent humans, and Terrakion does not hesitate to strike them down.


	640. Virizion

Per agreement of the swords of justice, Virizion's duty was to protect forests and grasslands; that portion of the natural world which held the most interest to human expansion. It was unable to succeed in this task, partially because humans were capable of using flying pokemon against it, to which it has a severe weakness, but primarily because the distribution of the three swords' realms was flawed, and faced with the might of human expansion, Virizion's goal was from the start too much for a single pokemon to handle.

Although Virizion fought valiantly to protect Unova's forests from human encroachment, its defeats far outnumber its triumphs. The White, Pinwheel, and Lostlorn forests are a tiny relic of the expanse of trees which covered much of Unova before agriculture and urbanization. Unlike Cobalion and Terrakion, who are more often than not appreciated by humanity, Virizion is typically viewed as a vengeful god whose justice resembles Team Plasma's far more than that of a pokemon training world. For to avenge these defeats, Virizion at times resorted to tactics which even its comrades considered unjust, such as attacking settlements in recently deforested lands, or traveling far from home to strike back at lumber mills and other businesses which benefited from clear-cutting. It was forced to abandon these strategies quickly, for these tactics failed to intimidate humanity into surrender, and the retaliatory Virizion hunts destroyed far more than a simple defensive strategy would sacrifice.

Only with the rise of the conservation movement, and fear for the fate of Unova's forest pokemon, did Virizion at last reach an equilibrium with Man. In Virizion's defense, it must be noted that it abhorred Team Plasma's goals, and gave aid to the heroes who stopped them; it opposes environmental destruction, not pokemon training or humanity itself.


	641. Tornadus

Tornadus is a fearsome god of wind and storms, but he is often portrayed as a foolish one, whose awesome destructive power often completely misses its target. This portrayal likely has its roots in weather forecasting, where reports of hurricanes and other storms often err; in truth, Tornadus rarely misses, but others often misidentify what he was aiming for.

This is in part because, although Tornadus directs his storms to punish the wicked, his opinion of what constitutes wickedness is often at odds with those who call upon him to destroy their enemies. There are things which Tornadus hates, but these animosities rarely correlate with those who preach about the devastation he causes; Tornadus sees himself primarily as the protector of flying pokemon and their trainers, and although he despises all their enemies, he holds a special animosity for electric power lines; his clergy instead discusses human societal issues which he has never seen cause to care about. Tornadus has generally worked well with his priests, despite this disconnect - lacking arms in his Therian forme, he has entrusted the reveal glass which lets him switch between genie and fearsome, prehistoric bird to their safe keeping – but he refuses to destroy anyone or anything at their behest.

At times in history, Tornadus has needed to battle, and this is the other reason for his poor reputation for accuracy. Tornadus' most powerful techniques have relatively low accuracy, whether or not a god is using them, but he has long ago learned that a god whose wrath hits only seven out of ten times is nothing for mortal armies or legends to fear. For this reason, he has mastered the utilization of terrain in combat, and his wrath is deadly whether or not it directly blows away his enemies.


	642. Thundurus

Thundurus has often been called the assassin of the heavens, for the lightning bolts he hurls are a frequent and deadly instrument of his wrath. Although most bolts he hurls in thunderstorms are mere target practice, aimed at the highest object he can find (including the occasional hapless human or pokemon), he is more than willing to chase down and slay any individual who has angered the gods.

Although there are many steps which desperate individuals have taken to avoid Thundurus' wrath, the only reliable way to do so is to avoid performing acts of great sacrilege to draw his attention in the first place. Motor vehicles and other insulated structures can protect their occupants from lightning, as can most modern buildings, but these barriers can not prevent Thundurus from spitting ferocious winds to destroy wherever their victims hide; these winds often kills their targets with spinning debris without wasting a thunderbolt. Some pokemon can absorb electric attacks but most flee in terror, and the few who stay struggle to shield their hell-bound trainers from deadly winds or blasts of non-electric energy. Nor is it possible to outlast Thundurus, for although human endurance can escape many mortal wild pokemon, it has nothing on the tenacity of a god.

There are legends which describe villains so powerful they defeated Thundurus in battle, and their evil deeds are often overlooked in modern versions of the tale. This is because Thundurus is a devastating god who kills many by target practice in addition to those who have earned its wrath, and at best causes large storms which fry electrical equipment and make sleeping impossible. It has therefore become re-imagined as a demon, not an executioner; conversely, those who defy it have become folk heroes, despite their massive, disgusting crimes.


	643. Reshiram

The eternal battle between Reshiram's realism and Zekrom's idealism is a conflict which has reverberated throughout Unova's history, and is a concept so universal that Unovan historians have seen echoes of it in the histories of many other lands as well. As Reshiram's fire clashed with Zekrom's lightning in the heavens, so did their respective temples and followers clash on the world's surface. The first major political disputes in Unova were between these two factions, and although new ideologies have risen since, many have seen their disputes as simply the same ancient proxy struggle between Reshiram and Zekrom, albeit under different names. Reshiram's followers have not tended towards any great animosity towards Zekrom's, viewing them as fundamentally naïve and blinded by their idealism towards the way the world works – although they believe that should Zekrom ever triumph, it would prove disastrous. They are generally the more traditionalist of the two, and at times are prone to mistaking their present customs for a fundamental truth about how the world works – a viewpoint undoubtedly aided by the fact that Reshiram, and its associated viewpoint, has typically had the upper hand. They have been criticized as misanthropic, and the systems they design often take human failings as a given, but they should not be mistaken for the villains which Zekrom's partisans have accused them of being; although they believe some injustices impossible to eliminate, their policies are motivated by a desire to channel and restrain Man's negative qualities for the greater good. Reshiram has rarely needed to directly intervene on behalf of its followers, and has most often been summoned as a defensive measure, when Zekrom's followers seek to use their god's power to turn their ideas into reality, and Reshiram's power has been required for its partisans to stand a chance. 


	644. Zekrom

Although many foolish, disastrous, or cruel things have been done in its name – as in Reshiram's – what Zekrom and its followers represent is ultimately the power of hope. Although its efforts have rarely been successful in defeating Reshiram or its followers, and these successes have more often than not led to dystopias born of foolish, doomed ideals, there have also been times when Zekrom pushed humanity forward in ways which were once believed to be an impossible dream. At these points in history, Zekrom and its worshipers considered themselves vindicated, Reshiram dropped its objections, and the world was revolutionized for the better.

Yet Zekrom, despite gaining many followers, failed on every one of these occasions to permanently supplant Reshiram's power and create a lasting, idealistic world. This is likely because idealism is itself a shifting target; an idea which becomes accepted is no longer simply an idea. Some, primarily Reshiram's followers but occasionally Zekrom worshipers overwhelmed by defeat and frustration, have argued instead that this is because Zekrom is the weaker of the two deities, but in truth they are evenly matched; the difference in winning percentage comes from the fact that their wars are accompanied by armies, and Reshiram's forces are typically larger or better equipped. Reshiram can celebrate its long periods of nominal dominance over humanity, but Zekrom and its followers, despite fewer periods of leadership, can point to the dramatic changes they have made which survived to the present day.

Because its forces are typically outnumbered, Zekrom has rarely won by proxy alone. Yet Zekrom is too idealistic a pokemon god to be content to leave humanity to its own devices, so it has often joined their fight – leaving the realistic Reshiram, who abhors the very concept of miraculous divine intervention, to reluctantly fight back.


	645. Landorus

Tornadus and Thundurus typically act as destructive natural forces, and although they legitimize their acts as the justice of the heavens, necessary to protect the freedoms of the skies and the morals of the universe, Landorus is nonetheless horrified by his siblings' deeds. In an effort to atone for their rampage, Landorus has spent his divine efforts to battle poverty and famine, often using the very nutrients his brothers inadvertently spread to bring people abundant harvests.

By doing so, he has made himself the most beloved of his trio, but struggled in his true purpose; to convince the masses to forgive and understand the destruction of his brothers. Landorus' brothers each have dedicated clergies, but these are primarily composed of individuals who see justice in what most humans call self-righteousness and wrath, and most often the priests outnumber their parishioners. Because of their unpopularity, neither god can support a dedicated shrine – but Landorus, beloved for the bountiful harvests he creates, is the most popular deity in Unova, with a grand shrine large enough for three gods; out of necessity, the priests of Tornadus and Thundurus operate out of Landorus' shrine and store their holy relics there.

But Landorus is too soft a negotiator to use this leverage to force his brothers to change their ways, and his stubborn brothers have moved only modestly towards his position, for they have not lost their passions for a harsh, unrelenting justice. In recent years, it is Landorus' position, not his brothers, which has been the most challenged, for the agricultural techniques of the Green Revolution have made Landorus' miracles unnecessary. Faced with the possibility of his decline, his brothers have increasingly softened their ways, but priests of all three gods at the Abundant Shrine fear that their faith will someday pass into oblivion.


End file.
